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	Main Town: Stornoway Island Population: 19,000 (estimate)
	Although Lewis is called an island it is actually joined to Harris by a narrow strip of land to the southwest. Lewis is the largest of the Outer Hebrides but far less mountainous, characterized by heather moorland, small lochs and long sandy beaches. Lewis is visited mainly by anglers, naturalists, and archaeologists attracted by the wealth of natural history and prehistoric remains.
	Lewis was first settled by Picts who constructed the prehistoric Standing Stones of Callanish, and the Broch of Carloway, a defensive tower. During the 8th century Vikings invaded the Hebrides, and as a result Norway ruled the island chain until 1266, when they were transferred to Scottish control. During the next few centuries Scottish chieftains ruled the islands, but the royal house of Scotland gradually reduced the influence of the chieftains, gaining full control over the Hebrides in 1748.
	The Hebrides as a whole are renowned for their unspoilt, wild beauty, with a rocky and sometimes mountainous terrain that is broken by many bogs, moors, lakes, and valleys, they feature a vast array of wildlife and amazing scenery.
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