Stornoway, United Kingdom

In these parts, STORNOWAY is a buzzing metropolis, with over six thouand inhabitants. It's the social hub of the island and, perhaps most importantly of all, home to the Western Isles Council or Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, which has done much to promote Gaelic language and culture, and stem the tide of anglicization. For the visitor, however, the town is unlikely to win any great praise – aesthetics are not its strong point, and the urban pleasures on offer are limited.

Stornoway's best-looking building is the old Town Hall on South Beach, a splendid Scots Baronial building, its rooftop interspersed with conical towers, above which a central clocktower rises. One block east along South Beach, you'll find An Lanntair (Mon– Sat 10am–10pm; free; Web: www.lanntair.com ) – Gaelic for "lantern" – Stornoway's state-of-the-art cultural centre, which houses a 250-seat auditorium and cinema, and gallery space for temporary exhibitions, plus a decent café-bar. Continuing up the pedestrian precinct into Francis Street, you'll eventually reach the Museum nan Eilean (April– Sept Mon– Sat 10am–5.30pm; Oct– March Tues– Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–1pm; free; Web: www.cne-siar.gov.uk ), with lots of information about the island's history and its herring and weaving industries.

To the northwest of the town centre stands Lews Castle (Web: www.lews-castle.com ), a nineteenth-century Gothic pomposity built by Sir James Matheson in 1863 after resettling the crofters who used to live here. Its chief attraction is its mature wooded grounds, a unique sight on the Western Isles, and its Woodland Centre (Mon– Sat 10am–5pm; free), which has a straightforward exhibition on the history of the castle and the island upstairs, and a respectable café serving soup, salads and cakes downstairs.