Stiomrabhaigh - Lewis

About trip

• There and back walk: 3.31 miles
• what3words address for parking: ///purified.indicate.pints

There is very limited parking  in and around Orasaigh. We were lucky enough to find enough space to pull off the road and that is where the what3words address will take you. However, park wherever you can find an appropriate space that isn't blocking  a passing place or access.

Stiomrabhaigh (Stemreway) is one of several abandoned communities in the Pairc area of Lewis. The census of 1851 shows that the village consisted of 16 dwellings and had  a population of 81. By 1858 there were no households here. Clearances had been well underway in the area during the first half of the 19th century. In the early 20th century there were many requests to resettle Stiomrabhaigh, all of which were rejected by the landowners. It was not until 1921 when Lord Leverhulme abandoned his plan for Lewis that crofters returned to Stiomrabhaigh. Access was by sea only and always difficult. Life was harsh here and there were many challenges. Over the next twenty years many of the families drifted away and by the end of the 1940's Stiomrabhaigh was once again deserted. It's an atmospheric place and worth the effort to get there.

This is a short walk, but not  an easy one. The underfoot conditions are very boggy and the going was slow. We tried this walk a few years ago and were defeated by the boggy conditions and driving rain. On that occasion we gave up about half way there. Then  I was wearing leather hiking boots that were sodden within yards of the start of the walk. This time we wore rubber boots with good soles and used walking poles. I personally would not try this walk again without them.

This was 'unfinished business' and we set off better prepared. There is an old access path that takes you up the hill from the road, but this was blocked off some years ago and the new access is a hundred yards or so further south along the road. This involves climbing the hill and then  tracking back north parallel to the road  and beside a fence; it's not ideal and the path is very muddy and squeezed beside the barbed wire topped fence in places. This walk can also be found on other websites (walkhighlands, for example) but their gpx track starts on the old, now diverted path up the hill. There's a fank where the old path starts and it's tempting to park there but don't - we noticed a farmer/crofter working here when we were on our way back.

Then the rain came and I had a depressing feeling of deja vu but we carried on.

The track is fairly clear  in places and much less obvious in others. Once you get onto the hill there are strategically placed posts to aim for, but they can be hard to spot in limited visibility.

We pressed on - slowly - and as we came down the hill to the abandoned village the clouds cleared and the sun came out! Our spirits  lifted as the sky turned blue and we found a spot to enjoy our lunch and the silence. It's a beautiful spot and we were glad we finally made it - about 5 years after we first set out!