10017: Doune Carloway, Lewis
The village of Doune is named after its Iron Age broch – broch or fort being dùn in Gaelic. It is now thought that brochs were “status symbol” dwellings as much as they were defensive forts. It rises to 30 feet, and its external diameter is 47 feet. According to local tradition, it was occupied intermittently until the 17th century. There is some evidence that another much smaller broch was to be found close by – on an islet across from the present-day Doune Braes Hotel.
Doune Carloway was at one time a farm, along with Kirvick but in 1828 it was divided into crofts for tenants evicted from Hacklete, Bernera.
Doune was cleared of its people in 1853 and let as a tack. The tack manager was John Smith who came from Garynahine Farm, six miles to the south. His sons Donald was the first Provost of Stornoway; another son Kenneth was a well-known fishcurer in the town. This tack was never successful and people were allowed to re-occupy Doune in 1872 – most of the families coming from the Mangersta area of Uig.
A school was opened at Doune in 1880, serving the children of the village and also Tolsta Chaolais. The school closed in June 1964 and re-opened as the Doune Braes Hotel in 1966.
Doune has 24 crofts.
Record Location
Details
- Record Type:
- Location
- Also Known As:
- Dun Carloway
- Type Of Location:
- Village/Township
- Record Maintained by:
- HC
Related Media
Doune Broch
Doune and the Broch