Dùn Èistean
On the tiny island of Dùn Èistean you can see the remains of a defended settlement thought to have been built by the Clan Morrison.
The clan would take refuge here during troubled times in Lewis around 500 years ago when clans fought each other, and the Scottish Crown, for political control.
The ruins of two large buildings and groups of inter-connecting cellular structures can be seen amongst the grassy tussocks on the top of the island, as well as an artificial pond and a low turf wall enclosing the site. Peat hearths, broken pottery, pistol shot and coins dating to the 16th-17th centuries have been found.
If you would like to know more about these troubled times, and the lives of the clans, there are interpretation boards telling the story by the footbridge to Dùn Èistean - please be aware that the bridge is currently closed to public access. Access is via a rough track road from the village of Knockaird, Ness.
The bridge is closed as essential repairs are required to ensure its structural safety. We are actively exploring funding opportunities to facilitate the necessary restoration work. (Oct 2025)
Want to learn more?
If you want to continue your research here are a few resources to explore more about the rich history and traditions of North Lewis.
Dùn Èistean
The dramatic setting of the small island of Dùn Èistean atop rocky cliffs and the north end of the Western Isles of Scotland is the scene for the archaeological fieldwork that is presented in this book by Rachel C Barrowman. The results of detailed excavation and survey work, artefactual, environmental and dating specialist reports are combined with fascinating historical research to tell the story of this defended local stronghold that was caught up in the conflict and politics turmoil experienced between the islands and the mainland governmental authorities in Scotland in the 1500s and early 1600s AD.
First published in 1997, this long-awaited photographic book by Dan Morrison depicts the distinctive Hebridean crofting way of life. This book will be of interest not only to those with Hebridean roots but to all who value the strength of rural communities, customs and landscapes.
Eachdraidh le Càirdeas is Cridhe – Ainmean-àite Ceann a Tuath Leòdhais Nis Gu Baile an Truiseil
Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (Ness Historical Society) created a rich archive of place-names, the information having been provided by over fifty contributors between 1966 and 2018, and this book is the result. The book is separated into all the villages in Ness in order to highlight the cultural and historical importance of place-names and is a record of the names as the people of the area say and spell them. The photographs of contributors inside display the vitality of sharing and culminating knowledge about place-names from Ness to Ballantrushal, in the northwest of the Isle of Lewis.
Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches is Scotland’s online resource dedicated to the presentation and promotion of audio recordings of Scotland’s cultural heritage. Its principal content is songs, music, history, poetry, traditions and stories, recorded from the 1930s onwards. The website contains material from three archives: The School of Scottish Studies, The Canna Collection and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and there are recordings in Gaelic, Scots and English, with many recordings from the Isle of Lewis. Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches’ principal aim is to ensure that Scotland’s rich oral heritage is safeguarded and made widely available for present and future generations.