The community of Uig consists of some 20 small active crofting townships on Loch Roag and the open sea, from Gisla to Brenish.

The population is about 400. Local interest in history and heritage (whether archaeology, the Vikings, legends and stories, clearance and settlement, ethnography, genealogy, crofting or fishing) is huge and the Comunn Eachdraidh has amassed a large and very detailed body of knowledge. Previously housed in Lochcroistean School (now a cafe), the society moved in 1998 to the new community centre overlooking Timsgarry and Uig Sands, where the museum and archive can be visite

Villages or Townships

Uig Consists of 20 Villages (in order from beginning of Uig to road end):

Giosla/Gisla

Gisla, on the shores of Loch Roag, was a small township of 5 tenants until about 1850. It was then given to Angus Maclean, a stonemason from Melbost who had lived at Scaliscro, in payment for his work on the construction of Morsgail Lodge

Einacleit/Enaclete

Enaclete is a village on the western shores of Little Loch Roag, comprising nine crofts. An abundance of small stone piers and landing stages on the shore indicate the importance of fishing and boat transport to and from the village.

Ungisiadar/Ungeshader

Ungeshader is a small village of just four crofts (each with one or two houses, now uninhabited) on the east side of Little Loch Roag, very near the narrows.

Lochcroistean

Geisiadar/Geshader

Geshader was occupied relatively late, by people coming in from other parts of the district in the mid-19th century.

Cairisiadar/Carishader

Carashader was lotted in 1849 into 12 regular crofts laid out in a line straddling the main road through Uig, between the hill and the shore of Loch Roag, looking over to Reef and Vuia.

Miabhag/Maivaig (Peninsula)

The name Maivig. is from the norse mjo vagr for ‘narrow bay’, which accurately describes it. It is located at the head of Valtos Glen and at the short causeway to the Valtos peninsula.

Cliobh/Cliff (Peninsula)

Cliff is a small village on Camas na Clibhe, between high cliffs on both sides, and at the head of Loch Sgaillear.

Bhaltos/Valtos (Peninsula)

Valtos (from the Norse vald hus, house of one in power) is a large and well-populated village on the Valtos peninsula.

Cnìp/Kneep (Peninsula)

The village of Kneep is situated on the Valtos Peninsula in Uig, between Valtos and Reef. Crofts 1 to 15 are next to Valtos, and much fragmented.

Riof/Reef (Peninsula)

The township of Reef, situated on machair and rocky headland on the Valtos penisula in West Uig, was cleared of its inhabitants to make way for a sheep farm, under the ownership of Sir James Matheson.

Ùigean/Uigen (Peninsula)

Uigen is a small village on the Valtos Peninsula. It was previously considered an extension of Kneep and the crofts are numbered accordingly, beginning with 16.

Àird Ùig/Aird Uig

Aird Uig is a small village of 10 crofts (counting 3a and 3b as two) situated at the end of the road to Gallan Head, on the western side of the Amhainn Gil na h-Airde.

Timsgearraidh/Timsgarry

Timsgarry, a village of 8 crofts in the central part of West Uig, overlooking Uig Sands. It adjoins the old (and now deserted) township of Erista and the church and glebe lands at Baile na Cille.

Cradhlastadh/Crowlista

Crowlista is located in Uig in the west of Lewis, on the north side of Camas Uig and the Traigh Mhor. It is an old settlement, with rocky ground in contrast to the machair around the other parts of the bay.

Eadar Dha Fhadhail /Ardroil

Ardroil (Eadar Dha Fhadhail – ‘between two fords’) lies on the southwestern side of Uig Sands.

Càrnais/Carnish

According to D Maciver, Place Names of Lewis and Harris, the name Carnish is from the Norse kvern-nes, meaning ‘promontory of the querns’ (ie hand mills).

Mhangarstadh/Mangersta

Mangersta (probably “Magnus’s steading”) was cleared at the same time as Mealista, in 1837-38, to make way for sheep.

Ìslibhig/Islivig

Islivig was described in Uig: A Hebridean Parish, in 1959:

Breanais/Breanish

Breanish is a large village near the end of the Uig road – since the clearance of Mealista in 1838, it has been the last inhabited village in the district.

Mealastadh/Mealista

Mealista or Eilean Mhealastadh, an uninhabited island of Uig parish, Outer Hebrides, Ross and Cromarty, on the north side of the mouth of Loch Reasort, and ½ mile from the west coast of Lewis.

Uig in old Viking norse

See here for a detailed map of Uig with viking norse village names

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