Our Lady of the Sea statue, Barra

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Religion and Spirituality

Since the introduction of Christianity in the Outer Hebrides around 600AD, religion has been a cornerstone of life in the Western Isles.

Religion on Lewis, Harris and North Uist is predominantly Protestant while religion on Barra, Benbecula and South Uist is mainly Catholic (these Outer Hebrides islands featured in An Island Parish, the popular BBC TV series, which followed the fortunes of Western Isles priests and their congregations)

The difference in Christian denominations in the Outer Hebrides has caused little division amongst inhabitants, and they have lived peacefully side-by-side for centuries.

A number of historical religious sites in the Western Isles portray the history and heritage of Christianity in the Outer Hebrides. The remains of the first churches in the Western Isles can still be seen today; many of them dating back to medieval times.

ST CLEMENTS CHURCH, HARRIS

The largest medieval church in the Outer Hebrides is St Clements Church in Rodel, Harris. Although it was built in the 16th Century, some archaeologists believe that an older monastery existed on the same site. The church was restored in 1873 but was originally built by Alexander Macleod, 8th Chief of Harris and Dunvegan, whose stone-carved tomb can still be seen in the church today.

ST MOLUAGS CHURCH, LEWIS

In one of our most northerly villages, Eoropaidh in Lewis, you will find St Moluag’s Church which is a 12th century Temple, said to have been built by the son of a Scandinavian King, who had converted to Christianity. The building may have been altered up to the 16th century and was restored in 1911-12.

HOWMORE CHAPELS, SOUTH UIST

Further south in the archipelago is Howmore Chapels or Tobha Mòr, South Uist. We do not know when the first chapel was built at Tobha Mòr, but a stone slab incised with a outlined cross may suggest a Christian presence here before the 9th century.
Later, a series of chapels and parish churches were built, and the remains of four of them can be seen today. The earliest may be no earlier than c. 1200 AD, but their character is reminiscent of early Irish Celtic monastic sites.

PRESENT DAY

Western Isles Christianity is evident in almost all aspects of our Scottish island life. Sabbath Day observance in the Outer Hebrides is practised predominantly in the Presbyterian northern islands. As a result, Sunday closing on Lewis, Harris and North Uist means most shops and cafes are not open on Sundays nor are public services available on these islands.

More recently the Western Isles have seen diversity of religion emerging and in 2018 the first Western Isles Mosque was opened. Renovating a derelict building in the town centre of Stornoway, Lewis, the Mosque gave a place of worship for our Muslim community who first arrived on the islands in 1950s.

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