Carloway is very attractive for tourism, with many historic sites to see, such as the Garenin Blackhouse Village and the Iron AgeDoune CarlowayBroch.[3] There is also a standing stone called "Clach an Tursa" in Upper Carloway.[4]
The Carloway Bridge is said to be one of Scotland's oldest flyovers, being built in the mid-19th century. The bridge crosses the Carloway River and the Pentland Road, which leads from Carloway Pier and Harbour to Stornoway.
The district of Carloway (after the village of that name) which hitherto had fallen partly within the parishes of Lochs and Uig, became a separate civil registration district in 1859.
The district is divided into eight townships: Knock Carloway, Park Carloway, Doune Carloway, Upper Carloway, Garenin, Borrowston, Kirivick and Dalmore. The Estate starts at the cattle grid between Garynahine and Callanish and ends at the Bragar cattle grid, just leaving Shawbost towards Bragar.
Services in the community include an off-licensed community shop and community centre, a hotel, bar and restaurant, youth hostel, a newly renovated Harris Tweed mill, a pier, general medical practice and day centre, a museum, two churches (The Free Church of Scotland and The Church of Scotland), a football pitch, a war memorial and a historical society.
Black houses, a museum in the village
The district is known throughout the Western Isles for its Agricultural Show and Highland Games, held annually on the first Wednesday of August at the Show Ground, behind Carloway School in the centre. It is the longest running agricultural show and Highland Games on the island, first held in 1911 and officially the oldest since Beinn-na-Dròbh agricultural show stopped in Stornoway. It is locally known as the island's "Premiere Show", and 2,500 people attending the 58th Agricultural Show in 2011, more than the previous year's attendance.
Three routes connect Carloway with the main town of Stornoway:
The main road heading north, which passes through Shawbost, Bragar and Barvas, where it splits: one road goes to Stornoway and another goes to Ness.
The district has two churches, both of which are located near the Carloway Bridge in the Knock Carloway township. The Free Church of Scotland was built in 1884 and has a congregation of up to 100 people. Services are conducted in both English and Scottish Gaelic. The Church of Scotland is next door to the Free Church and was built in 1908. It has a congregation with just over 50 people, with services conducted in English.[citation needed]
Teampall Chiarain
The ruins of an older church Teampall Chiarain (St Ciaran's) are located on the east side of the Laimishader peninsula at the foot of a crag at the end of the path. Folklore says that those who were ill were brought to this chapel, walked clockwise around it and made to sleep the night inside and this would cure the afflicted person. [5]
Teampall Mhìcheil
Another ruined church Teampall Mhìcheil (St Michael's) is located on the southern shore of Loch Carloway, across the water from Borrowston and Port Laimishader. It is also next to the ruins of the post-medieval township of Baile an Teampaill. The inhabitants of the area used to paint their croft numbers on the unmarked grave stones in tar.[5]
Football
Football is by far the most favoured sport in the area. Carloway F.C. was founded in 1933 and first constituted in 1946 after the Second World War, playing their games on turf at Altan Feirigro in Garenin, before relocating to land near Cnoc a' Choilich in Upper Carloway. The club's catchment area covers the Parish of Uig area between Dalmore and Breanish. The club won its first trophy in 1952 after beating league champions Point 5–1 to win the Stornoway Cup. Between 1955 and 1957, Carloway won several more trophies: a 5–1 victory against Back to win the D'Oyle Carte Cup and a 4–1 victory against Point to win the Tormod Mor Tankard, both in 1956. The following year they defeated Stornoway United to win the Stornoway Cup for the second time. During that period it was rare to see a final without the involvement of the club, with the Eilean Fhraoich Cup Final seeing Carloway three years in a row, despite the club failing to win. Since this successful period in the 1950s, it took the club until 2012 to win their next trophy, defeating Back 7–6 on penalties to lift the Co-operative Cup after a 1–1 draw. In the same week, the club secured the double by winning the Lewis Cup, again on penalties, after drawing 3–3 against rivals West Side. In 2013, Carloway recently won the Acres Boys Club Cup after defeating Back 6–0 in the final, as well as the Jock Stein Cup after defeating rivals West Side 3–0 in the final. Carloway also won their first League title in their eighty-year history. The club boasts the largest support in the Western Isles and indeed one of the best playing surfaces in the Highlands and Islands, which was opened in 1991 with a friendly against Rangers reserves. The match attracted around 1100 spectators to the newly built pitch, which had been renovated twice (1949–51 and 1991) since its construction in 1935. Two players who have played for Carloway went on to play football at professional level: Ronnie MacKinnon, who played for Rangers and Scotland, and his brother Donnie, who played for Partick Thistle.[citation needed]
Carloway townships
District of Carloway
Sgìre Chàrlabhaigh
Townships
Bailtean
Borrowston
Borghastan
Dalmore
Dail Mòr
Doune Carloway
Dùn Chàrlabhaigh
Garenin
Na Gearrannan
Kirivick
Cìrbhig
Knock Carloway
Cnoc Chàrlabhaigh
Park Carloway
Pairc Chàrlabhaigh
Upper Carloway
Mullach Chàrlabhaigh
Notable Carlowegians and people connected with the district
Angus MacInnes, actor, plays Sonny Munro in the Scottish soap River City (mother comes from Borrowston, Carloway)
John MacKay, main anchor on Central edition of STV News at Six (father and mother come from the Carloway townships of Kirivick and Garenin respectively)
Willie MacKay, football agent (father comes from Kirivick, Carloway)
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