THE VILLAGES / NA BAILTEAN
History and information / Eachdraidh agus fiosrachadh
PORT OF NESS / PORT NIS
Building of the harbour at Port of Ness began in 1835 and continued right up until 1940. At one time the fishing fleet here numbered 50, the most famous being the but today only a few boats use the harbour. The picturesque beach is popular with visitors and locals throughout the summer.
In 2014, the Ness Fishery Memorial was erected to celebrate the success of long-line fishing in the past and to commemorate those who lost their lives at sea, of whom there were 96 between 1835 and 1900.
Beside the harbour is a local art gallery, Harbour View Gallery, with work by Anthony J Barber. There is also a small restaurant, Breakwater Café.
The Post Office in Port opened in 1880. It is now one of three in the area, along with Cross Skigersta and Cross.
Harbour View Gallery: http://www.abarber.co.uk/
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Thòisich togail air a’ chala ann am Port Nis an 1835 agus lean e gu ruige 1940. Air aon àm, bha 50 bàta anns a’ chabhlach iasgaidh, b’ iad bàtaichean nan sealgairean gugachan an fheadhainn as ainmeile ach an-diugh chan eil ach deannan bhàta a’ cleachdadh a’ chalaidh. Tha an tràigh dhealbhadail glè fhèillmhor le luchd-turais agus le muinntir an àite tron t-samhraidh.
Ann an 2014, thogadh Carragh-chuimhne Iasgaich Nis gus soirbheachas an iasgaich-mòir anns na làithean a dh’aom a chomharrachadh agus gus an fheadhainn a chaill am beatha air fairge a chuimhneachadh – ’s e 96 an t-àireamh de dhaoine a chaochail eadar 1835 agus 1900.
Ri taobh a’ chalaidh, tha ealain-lann ionadail air a bheil ‘Harbour View Gallery’, a’ taisbeanadh obair le Anthony J. Barber. Tha taigh-bìdh beag ann cuideachd, Breakwater Café.
Dh’fhosgail oifis a’ phuist ann an 1880. An-diugh, tha dhà eile anns an sgìre; Cros Sgiogarstaigh agus Cros.
Harbour View Gallery: http://www.abarber.co.uk/
PORT OF NESS - HISTORY / PORT NIS - EACHDRAIDH
Port had 4 shops over the years:
Bùth Dhòmhnaill Gheàrr - Donald MacDonald of Eorodale. After he moved to Stornoway this continued as Bùth Dena and was in the enclosure known as Bàrr a' Yard. This reopened in 2019 as the Wobbly Dog of Lewis, a shop and café.
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Bùth John - Iain Mhurchaidh, pre-1900. Grocery and biscuit bakery. This shop provided biscuits to the fishing crews. John was also in the fishing industry. Donald Smith, Lionel, took over the bakery business from John in 1893 after he returned from Glasgow. This was before the bakery was built at Lionel.
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Bùth Iain a' Chabair - John MacDonald. General store and newsagent. He was postman for the Port of Ness area and for years delivered the papers on his round (always yesterday’s papers).
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Bùth Choinnich Ghobha - Kenneth/Alex Murray, pre-1900. His son had a good drapery/grocer business in the premises. When these premises were taken over by John Paterson they were used as an outlet for furniture/radios for a short period by Snows of Stornoway and after use as a workshop, were later partly used as a doctor's surgery. (Reference: Criomagan)
In 1880 the Post Office opened an office in Port. Although largely unprofitable, such a facility was considered to be sufficiently important for it to be retained and subsidised. Apart from the benefits to local traders and businessmen, the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse and Lloyds of London (who used the office in support of their signalling station at the Butt) deemed the local Post Office to be crucial to their operations. On 2nd October 1888, 8 years after being opened, the Ness office was connected to the Island's telegraph network.
On an island where the postal service was much less efficient than its mainland counterparts, the newly installed telegraphic link was a major improvement in communication for local businessmen. By 1892, it was also able to issue and pay out money orders and act as a savings bank. (Reference: Criomagan 1998)