Canisp Stornoway

08/06/2023

Canisp has just become available 15th-19th June due to a cancellation. Bookings via airbnb

Spacious, Airy & Gorgeous Attic Flat, sleeps 7

04/05/2023

03/05/2023

03/05/2023

Another eventful day yesterday, just when we thought we were all set up and beautiful for the season —and the scaffolding which had been up since January would also soon be gone. All I can say is thank you all for your continued support and it is because of you that I am still operating under these conditions and you all are why I keep going. I don’t have any other words just now.

17/02/2023

17/02/2023

The broken heart of St Clements Church, Rodel, Isle of Harris.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the loved up and heart-broken alike!

💔❤️

17/02/2023

Wednesday's aurora activity remained largely hidden behind cloud and light rain for much of the evening, although the skies did clear later to reveal a pretty lively display above Bunavoneadar and the hills of North Harris.

16/02/2023

Stornoway is standing by for a major culinary event – the opening of a new Italian restaurant called La Balena which will occupy the premises on Francis Street previously well-known as The Whaler’s Rest.

04/01/2023

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER VACANCY

The HTA is seeking to appoint a creative and adaptable development officer with strong organisational and administrative skills to support with the administration of, and to drive forward, a number of projects relating to the Authority’s statutory role in promoting and protecting Harris Tweed®.

For full details and to download an application form, visit https://www.harristweed.org/journal/vacancy/

Closing date for applications is 12pm on Wednesday 18th January 2023.

02/01/2023

’Illean Bithibh Sunndach / Lads Be Cheerful [Òran na Bliadhna Ùire / New Year Song]

Here, as performed by Donald McColl (as pictured), the composer himself and a native of , is one of his best-known songs. According to the composer, he created the song in in the days of “austerity” after the War and was looking back on his youth in and how the New Year was brought in. The tune was reused by the bard and is adapted from an old local song “’Illean, Bithidh Sunndach A-null air a’ Bhòisde” (Lads Be Cheerful on the Voyage Across), composed when emigrants were leaving from to North . The song was recorded on two occasions by Alan Bruford and Donald Archie MacDonald on visiting the locality in 1964 and 1975.

’Illean Bithibh Sunndach
[Translation below]

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach, ’Bhliadhna Ùr a’ tigh’nn oirnn,
Is mise ’n Coill’ a’ Bhùiridh gun sùrd no gun cheòl;
Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach, ’Bhliadhna Ùr a’ tigh’nn oirnn.

Nan robh mi air anns an fheasgar seo
Na b’ fhaisg’ air Àirigh Bheagaige,
Cha bhithinn seo cho leidideach,
Gun easaraich ’s gun spòrs.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Cha b’ ann sin a chleachd mi bhith,
Nam shuidhe seo cho leacanta,
Ach ’cumail suas nan cleachdainnean
Gu settadh leis a’ chòrr.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Cha robh cnap-starr’ a chaisgeamaid
Bha thaigh gu taigh a’ spaidsearachd,
A’ leum gach dìg is clais a bh’ ann
Gus dèanamaid Ceann Tràgha.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

B’ e sinne ’n comann toilichte
A-mach gu ruig nan dorsannan:
Bhiodh cuid a’ tarraing chorcaichean –
Bhiodh popail air gach làimh.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Bhiodh gealbhan mòine ’s connaidh air
’S gach fear mu chuairt ri othail riut,
’S am priobadh bhiodh mu d’ choinneamh
Tobar Mhoire no ’n t-Each Bàn.
Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

B’ ann siud a bhiodh an cridhealas
Le òrain ’s ceòl à innealan,
’S gach fear is tè cho sgiobalta
Ga jiggeadh air na clàir.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Bhiodh pìobaire na dheannaibh ann,
Bhiodh righleadh ann le setteadh ann,
’S gach soitheach air an dreasair
Cur an earrann ris an toirm.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Bhiodh bean an taighe snagarra
A’ cumail fir a’ caganadh:
’S ann a bhiodh na bùird a’ cnagadaich
Le aran do gach seòrs’.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach…

Ach dh’fhalbh na làithean somalta:
Tha nist gach nì cho lomartrach,
Dhiubh ’s e ’s nach e do thogaradh
Tha ’Chollainn dol a-bhàn.

Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach, ’Bhliadhna Ùr a’ tigh’nn oirnn,
Is mise ’n Coill’ a’ Bhùiridh gun sùrd no gun cheòl;
Ò ’illean, bithibh sunndach, ’Bhliadhna Ùr a’ tigh’nn oirnn.

Lads Be Cheerful

Oh, lads be cheerful, the New Year is almost upon us,
Though I am in Coill’ a’ Bhùiridh with neither mirth nor music;
Oh, lads be cheerful, the New Year is almost upon us.

If tonight I had been
Close to Arivegaig,
I wouldn’t now be so wretched
With no carry-on or fun.

That wasn’t what I used to –
Not sitting here stock still,
But keeping up the customs
And doing as the others did.

No obstacle would stop us
Marching from house to house,
Jumping every ditch and drain on the way
Till we got to Kentra.

What a happy company we were,
Filling the house to the doors:
Some would be drawing corks –
There would be popping on all sides.

There would be a peat fire and logs blazing
And everyone around making a fuss of you;
In an instant you’d have before you
Tobermory (whisky) or White Horse.

That’s where there would be merriment
With songs and instrumental music,
And every man and woman so deftly
Jigging it upon the floor.

There’d be a piper at full swing,
They’d be reeling and set dances
Till all the dishes on the dresser
Added their share to the din.

The mistress of the house would be on her toes
Keeping the menfolk fed:
The tables would be groaning
With baking of every kind.

But those carefree times have gone:
Everything now is so scarce,
Where you like it or not,
Hogmanay is on the decline.

Oh, lads be cheerful, the New Year is almost upon us,
Though I am in Coill’ a’ Bhùiridh with neither mirth nor music;
Oh, lads be cheerful, the New Year is almost upon us.

Recorded by twice by Alan J. Bruford on 25 September 1964 and later still by him and Donald Archie MacDonald on 29 May 1975 (with both recordings have been used for the above transcription) from Donald McColl (Dòmhnall mac Dhòmhnaill Eòghainn Dhòmhnaill mhic Iain mhic Dhòmhnaill, 1901–1977) from Acharcle, Adrnamurchan. As well as being a gamekeeper, he was an excellent bard and singer. The original tape recordings are catalogued as SA1964/73/B11 and SA1975/75/A both of which are available to listen to on Tobar an Dualchais: [http://tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/52600?l=en]; [http://tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/64794?l=en]. For an appreciation of the above bard and seanchaidh, see Alan J. Bruford, ‘Donald McColl’, Tocher, no. 34 (1980), pp. 248–51.

01/01/2023

30/11/2022

Another sunrise from earlier this week - a breezier morning overlooking Loch Ceann Dibig.

29/11/2022

Tonight, we share a special Harris hug-in-a-mug cocktail, perfect for those cold winter nights...

THE HYGGE IN HARRIS

25ml Isle of Harris Gin
150ml Hot Milk
4 x heaped tsp Organic Cocoa Powder
1 x heaped tsp of Vanilla Sugar
A few drops of Liquid Smoke

Add all ingredients to a mug and stir gently. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon and cocoa powder.

(For those with a lactose-intolerance or vegan diet, almond milk can be substituted.)

For more Winter Cèilidh cocktails, download our new Winter Cèilidh book at https://link.harrisdistillery.com/ceilidhbookfb

Slaìnte to the coming season!

29/11/2022

29/11/2022

Official tourist information on Harris Tweed in the Outer Hebrides

29/11/2022

We still have a few Gingerbread House kits - as usual, feel free to message us to put anything aside.

29/11/2022

✨Open Late✨

We’ll be open tomorrow night until 9pm for the lights switch on! Serving cocktails, coffees and lots of cake! 🍰

Come on in for your winter warmers🤗

29/11/2022

Northern Lights over the Airport Beach in Balivanich

28/11/2022

Yesterday's sunrise from Loch Deiraclete and East Loch Tarbert....

28/11/2022

A glimpse of light as the storm gathers.....

📸:

28/11/2022

:) Amazing Aurora Copper Kettle Fudge :O
Breasclete, Isle of Lewis

11/11/2022

The Harris Winter Cèilidh is getting in full swing as we celebrate the simpler pleasures of the coming season.

Next Friday brings 'The 12 Days Of The Winter Cèilidh' as we a share some special treats from our island and distillery.

One of these early Christmas surprises is a rare release of our much-coveted hand-made Cèilidh Bottle.

We will be adding 100 bottles to our online store between 9am and 9pm every day for all 12 days.

Lots more still to come, meantime why not make plans to get your own island get-together underway this winter?

Learn more via: www.harrisdistillery.com/ceilidh

09/11/2022

Tweed or Twill?

We here at the Harris Tweed Authority are not and would never purport to be weave experts. We do love however dipping into the origins of the words and phrases we use every day in our industry.

The most common or often used weave is known as the ‘common twill’, also known as the 'two and two twill' or sometimes the 'Cassimere twill'. It is the simplest form of cloth making, in which the threads cross over two, under two, and so on.

The word 'twill' became 'tweel' in the Scots tongue. From there the letter 'l' was later replaced by the letter 'd' when an assumption was made that it was named after the famous Scottish River Tweed. A welcomed coincidence as it has proven to be a distinctive name for a distinctive weave style.

In Scottish Gaelic, tweed translates as 'clò'. Harris Tweed® translates as 'Clò Hearach', but is colloquially known locally here on the island as ‘Clò Mòr' which translates as 'big cloth'.

📷 Janet Miles