Stornoway – A Day Under a Roof with the Children
A day.
The route
When the rain sets in over Lewis, Stornoway can fill a whole day with children without anyone getting wet for long.
Museum nan Eilean in the Lews Castle grounds is the heart of it, with six of the Lewis Chessmen, an immersive film of the islands and backpacks full of games for small explorers. The town's arts centre and a café in the castle make up the rest, and it suits families with children of any age.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
None of ours is close by: the nearest is Harris Hideaway, 27 miles away. Sleeps 2.
The day
Stornoway
A dry day by the harbour: hot chocolate with a view of the boats, lunch in a castle, and an afternoon of trails, dressing-up and the islands' own story.
About five hours
An Lanntair
An Lanntair is Stornoway's arts centre, on Kenneth Street right beside the bus station. There's a large public car park next to it on South Beach Street, where the signs show how long you can park, and two disabled spaces at the main door. It's free to go in. The gallery, the shop and the auditorium are on the ground floor, so start with whatever is on the walls. Then take the lift up to the café bar, which serves hot drinks and cakes from 10am, with windows looking out over the harbour. The centre opens at 10am from Monday to Saturday and stays open into the evening from Thursday to Saturday; it's shut on Sundays, apart from the last Sunday afternoon of the month. If you'd like to add a film, the programme is on its website.
5 min by car
The Storehouse Café
Lunch
The Lews Castle grounds are 5 minutes' drive on, or a 15-minute walk. Park in the museum's own car park, just past the entrance to the castle, with 38 spaces and three blue-badge bays nearest the door. Lunch is at the Storehouse Café inside Lews Castle, which shares a connecting door with the museum. It usually opens every day from 10am, but its hours change through the winter, so check Lews Castle's own website before you go. If it's shut or full, An Lanntair's café bar back in town serves food from noon, Monday to Saturday.
Museum nan Eilean
Through the connecting door is Museum nan Eilean, the museum of the Western Isles, free to visit with a suggested donation of £5. From 1 October to 31 March it opens Tuesday to Saturday, 1pm to 4pm, and from April to September 10am to 5pm; it's shut on Sundays and Mondays all year. Ask at reception for an activity backpack for children aged 2 to 8, with colouring, a senses trail and a magnifying glass. There's a wildlife spotting trail for ages 3 to 7, a find-the-object trail for 6 and over, dressing-up, a build-a-pot game and two digital games. Look for Dùthchas, the immersive film of the islands' moors, machair and seas, and the six Lewis Chessmen on loan from the British Museum. It's all on one level, with baby changing in the accessible toilet beside reception. It's shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 1 and 2 January and the three working days between.
If it rains
All of it is under a roof: only the short walks from the car parks are out in the weather.
Where to stay
Photographs by Georgi Spasov and Pedro Bauto via Google