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Comunn Eachdraidh na Pàirc (CEP)
Pairc Historical Society
Comunn Eachdraidh na Pàirc (Pairc Historical Society) is based at Ravenspoint in Kershader in the South Lochs area of Lewis. There are a number of complementary facilities at Ravenspoint including a popular community museum, the Angus Macleod Archive and the Derek Cooper Collection. Ravenspoint also houses a community shop, a lochside café and a 14-bed hostel.
The museum contains a wide range of community artefacts displayed around its most popular exhibit, a portable pulpit which was in use at open-air locations in the Pairc area prior to the local churches being built. It is open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, throughout the year.
The comann eachdraidh has a significant number of publications including a quarterly magazine, Tional, and a range of village history booklets. It was one of four societies to participate in the Hebridean Connections project from the outset, and was also involved in cataloguing the Angus MacLeod Archive, in partnership with the Islands Book Trust. Croft histories for all villages in the local area are collected and annual walks organised.
In the past the comann eachdraidh has commissioned archaeological research in the area, primarily focused on Eilean Chaluim Chille and the surrounding shoreline. It aspires to attract more comprehensive research across the wider Pairc area, which contains many interesting sites in addition to Eilean Chaluim Chille, including Dun Cromore, the deserted village of Stemreway, and a number of smaller deserted hamlets.
Meetings are held monthly at Ravenspoint, usually on the last Tuesday of the month at 8pm. There are eight committee members and a membership of 350 people.
A full list of Comunn Eachdraidh na Pàirc publications and their prices is available upon application to the society.