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Peter May Lewis Trilogy

If you are a fan of the books of Peter May, you may be interested in visiting locations that inspired the books in the Lewis Trilogy, and the places which feature in the companion photobook Hebrides.

For this reason, we have teamed up with the author’s own Hebrides photographer David Wilson, to create a guide to the Western Isles places featured in The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen.

Want to see where The Blackhouse is set? Explore the real islands from the Lewis Trilogy books? Then read on for the very best inside information on all of Peter May’s Hebrides literary locations!

David Wilson explains: “In the area around the township of Ness can be found many of the locations mentioned in all three Lewis Trilogy books as this is the place where Fin was raised and to which he returns.

“The Skigersta slipway where Fin finds his father’s old purple boat is overlooked by the three cairns and his auntie’s house where he was raised after his parent’s death.

“Also there is the township of Adabroc where Peter imagined Fin had grown up, although he re-named it “Crobost” , and the Free Church at Cross where Donald preaches (Peter “moved” this to Crobost!)

“Of course, “Blackhouse” opens in the shed at the base of the Ness harbour breakwater, and this pretty, scenic harbour features in many descriptions of the guga boat’s departure and return. Beside this is the beautiful beach of Ness, with the low cliffs where the boys dropped crabs on the girls below, and a must-visit is the nearby rugged headland where the Butt lighthouse marks the very edge of Europe.

“The glorious bay at Uig, south west Lewis, has many of Fin’s locations around it- Whistler lives at Ardroil as does Minto and the ancient little graveyard at Baile na Cille must be one of the most scenic in Britain. Overlooking the bay are the mountains, including Mealaisbhal, where Fin and Whistler have several scrapes, and a great trip to take by boat (Seatrek at Miavaig) goes out to the islands and literally into the caves where the fatal scene occurs in “The Chessmen”

“For walkers, the beehive dwellings at Morsgail are a couple of miles off the road to Uig, and walking on beyond them takes you to the site of a genuine “disappearing loch”

“Also for walkers, a “must see” is the Bridge to Nowhere and the Road to nowhere- scene of the scooter race in the Chessmen. This can be found at the very end of the road up the east side of Lewis from Stornoway and is beside the fabulous beaches of Gearaidh and Traigh Mor, Tolsta.

“While in Stornoway, a visitor should also visit the Iolaire monument, featured in Chessmen, which has such an evocative story.

“Finally, the island of Eriskay is a great little location to stroll round, and offers views of Johnny's house (cover of the “Hebrides” book) Ceit’s red-roofed house, the little harbour at Haun and of course the church of St Michaels with all it’s history and the altar made from the bows of a boat. The lane down to the Barra ferry pier overlooks the silver sands of “Charlies beach”, and just over the causeway on South Uist, so famous for it’s machair flora, is the mountain “Ben Kenneth” towering over the township of Lochboisdale, where the homers first land.”

For full details on all the Lewis Trilogy locations mentioned, check out the list below or click on to map view to see the locations.

You can also download our Peter May Trilogy leaflet with a map and locations. Click on the here to download.

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