Lewis War Memorial, War memorial in Stornoway, Scotland
The Lewis War Memorial is a tower about 85 feet high built from local Gneiss stone and Aberdeenshire granite, standing at the summit of Cnoc nan Uan hill. The structure contains multiple levels inside and is surrounded by commemorative plaques positioned along a path around the base.
The memorial was built in 1924 to honor the fallen from Lewis in World War I and the victims of the ship Iolaire, which sank in 1919. Both disasters shaped the island community deeply.
The structure is divided into four chambers, each representing a parish of the island and preserving the names of soldiers from those communities.
The site is reached via a well-maintained walking path, and renovations completed in 2017 have improved access to the memorial. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and bring protection from the weather, as the hilltop location is exposed to the elements.
During restoration work, detailed documentation was created about the names and stories of those remembered, preserving their memory in ways beyond the physical tower itself. This archival effort transforms the place into something more than a stone structure.
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