The Presbytery of Lewis is one of the twelve principal presbyteries of the Church of Scotland (analogous to a diocese in Episcopal denominations).
Despite many efforts in the first two centuries after the formation of the Church of Scotland, it was not until the 18th century that efficient church government began in Lewis. Under King James IV, a company of persons termed 'undertakers' were sent to Lewis to found a church court in 1598. This proved unsuccessful, with many dying in the process. It was tried again in 1601, which was also unsuccessful. In 1610, The minister of Gairloch, Farquhar McRae, was sent to Lewis since, it was claimed, 'its inhabitants were strangers to the Gospel'.
In 1724 the General Assembly severed the entire district of the Outer Islands (from Lewis in the North to Barra in the South) from the Presbytery of Skye. The presbytery of Lewis was created in 1742 by the division of the Presbytery of Long Island [also called Innis Fada] (which covered the whole of the Outer Hebrides) into the Presbyteries of Lewis and Uist.
Prior to 1724 the Outer Hebrides were part of the Presbytery of Skye. It was formerly part of the Synod of Glenelg. This later became the Synod of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness (until its dissolution on 1 January 1993).
It was invited to join the new Presbytery of the Highlands and Islands in 2024 but deferred its decision to join.
Parishes Much of the information below is taken from the Church of Scotland Yearbook 2025–2026. Parish(es)PopulationFormer parishesBuildingsFoundedMinister(s)MembershipBarvas1,988BarvasMedievalVacant72Carloway946Carloway, ShawbostCarloway (Callanish)Duncan M. MacAskill (2019–)45Cross Ness1,256CrossVacant56Kinloch918ParkLaxayIain M. Campbell (2008–)31Knock2,258Knock (Garrabost)1829TCGuardianship Donald W. MacDonald [OLM] (2025–)24Lochs-Crossbost892Lochs-Crossbost (Liurbost)MedievalGuardianship6Lochs-In-Bernera l/w Uig252Lochs-in-Bernera (Breacleit)Hugh Maurice Stewart (2008–)28397Uig (Miavaig)Medieval17Stornoway: High10,751Stornoway High (orig. Free Church)1845 (1909)Gordon Macleod (2019–)92Stornoway: Martin's MemorialMartin's Memorial, Stornoway (orig. Free English Church)1875 (1878)Tommy MacNeil (2006–)Brian Macleod [Assistant] (2025–)345Stornoway: St Columba'sGressSt Columba's, Stornoway1794William Heenan (2012–)118
Congregational history
Barvas Parish Church (1933–) Barvas Parish Church (1857–1933), formerly Barvas and Ness Parish Church (C16th-1857), formerly St Mary's Parish Church, Barvas (ancient-C16th) Barvas United Free Church (1900–33), formerly Barvas Free Church (1845–1900) Carloway Parish Church (1929–), formerly Carloway United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Carloway and Callernish Free Church (1844–1900) Cross Ness Parish Church (1976–), formerly Cross Parish Church (1935–76) Cross Parish Church (1857–1935), formerly Ness Parliamentary Chapel (1828–57), formerly St Peter's Parish Church, Ness (ancient-C16th) Ness Parish Church (1929–35), formerly Cross United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Cross Free Church (1843–1900) Kinloch Parish Church (1995–) Kinloch Parish Church (1929–95), formerly Kinloch United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Kinloch Free Church (1885–1900) Park Parish Church (1965–95), formerly Park Church Extension Charge (1963–65) Knock Parish Church (1929–) Knock Parish Church (1857–1929), formerly Ey Parliamentary Chapel (1828–57), formerly St Columba's Parish Church, Ey (ancient-C16th) Knock United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Knock Free Church (1843–1900) Lochs Crossbost Parish Church (1929–), formerly Lochs United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Lochs Free Church (1843–1900) Lochs in Bernera Parish Church (1929–), formerly Lochs Parish Church (1722–1929), formerly St Columba's Parish Church, Lochs (ancient-C16th) Stornoway High Parish Church (1929–), formerly Stornoway High United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Stornoway Free Church (1844–1900) Stornoway Martin's Memorial Parish Church (1929–), formerly Stornoway English United Free Church (1913–29) Stornoway English United Free Church (1900–13), formerly Stornoway English Free Church (1876–1900) Stornoway James Street United Free Church (1900–13), formerly Stornoway United Presbyterian Church (1858–1900) Stornoway St Columba's Parish Church (1929–), formerly Stornoway Parish Church (−1929), formerly Stornoway, Gress and Ey Parish Church (1722–1857), formerly Stornoway, Gress, Ey, Lochs and Uig Parish Church (C16th-1722) St Adamnan's Parish Church, Stornoway (ancient-C16th) St Olaf's Parish Church, Gress (ancient-C16th) Uig Parish Church (1979–) Uig Baile-na-cille Parish Church (1929–79), formerly Uig Parish Church (1722–1929), formerly St Coman's Parish Church, Uig (ancient-C16th) Uig Uigen Parish Church (1929–79), formerly Uig United Free Church (1900–29), formerly Uig Free Church (1843–1900)
Ministers
Barvas:
fl. 1566: Patrick Martin fl. 1642: Murdoch McHuiston 1643-1670s: Donald Morrison 1670s–1699: Donald Morrison II 1692–1723: Alan Morrison 1726–1767: Murdoch Morrison 1767–1789: Alexander MacKay 1790–1812: Donald MacDonald 1813–56: William MacRae 1856–58: John Reid 1857–87 (Barvas Free): Allan MacArthur 1858–92 (Parish): James Strachan 1859–76 (Back Free): Donald MacMaster 1877–80 (Back Free): John MacLean 1881 (Back Free, Free Continuing): Hector Cameron 1888–1902 (Barvas Free/UF): Neil Morrison 1893–1911 (Parish): Lachlan MacKinnon 1903–23 (UF): Donald Morrison 1911–24 (Parish): Norman Laing 1925–32 (UF): Murdo Mackay 1935–47: Donald Macdonald 1949–52: James Mackay 1953–62: John Macnaughton 1966–73: Alexander Morrison 1973–81: Aonghas Macdonald 1981–90: Hector Morrison 1993: Ivor Macdonald
Cross or Ness:
1829–33: Finlay Cook 1833–39: John MacRae 1840–43: John Finlayson (Parish/Free) 1844–76: Donald MacRae (Free) 1853–57: James Gunn (Parish) 1857–59: Roderick Fraser (Parish) 1859–60: James Bain (Parish) 1861–78: Donald MacKay (Parish) 1879–91: Duncan MacBeath (Free) 1878–87, 88–89: Godfrey MacRae (Parish) 1893–1938: Donald M. MacDonald (Free/UF/Parish) 1900–05: John MacKay (Parish) 1905–34: John MacPhail (Parish) 1941–64: Malcolm Smith 1965–73: Duncan MacKinnon 1973–80: John Ferguson 1982–91: Alexander Macdonald 1993–98: Kenneth MacPherson
Knock or Ey:
1829–31: Robert Finlayson 1831–44: Duncan Matheson (Parish/Free) 1845–66: Donald Murray (Free) 1849–60: Alexander Bethune (Parish) 1861–64: James MacDonald (Parish) 1864–70: Ewen Campbell (Parish) 1869–85: Malcolm MacRitchie (Free) 1870–73: Colin MacDonald (Parish) 1874: Alexander Carmichael (Parish) 1875–77: John Gillies (Parish) 1878–91: Donald MacKay (Parish) 1886–1928: George MacLeod (Free/UF) 1892–95: Archibald McCallum (Parish) 1895–1926: Angus MacLeod (Parish) 1930–35: Lachlan Macleod 1937–63: Harry MacKinnon 1964–82: William MacDonald 1984: James MacDonald
Lochs:
1724–59: Colin Mackenzie 1760–67: Alexander Mackay 1768–84: James Wilson 1784–92: John Fraser 1793–1830: Alexander Simpson 1831–56: Robert Finlayson (Parish/Free) 1844–69: Roderick Reid (Parish) 1857–64: John MacRae (Free) 1858–63: John McLean (Carloway Free) 1865–75 (Free), 1895 (Shawbost Free, Free Continuing): George Campbell 1870–89: Ewen Campbell (Parish) 1874: Roderick Ross (Carloway Free) 1876–1902: Roderick MacRae (Carloway Free/UF) 1876–81: Hector Cameron (Free) 1885–1901: John MacDougall (Free/UF) 1885–96: John MacDonald (Kinloch Free) 1886–88 (Park Free), 1902–13 (Lochs UF), 1913–23 (Carloway UF): Neil Morrison 1889: Hector Kennedy (Park Free, Free Continuing) 1890–1920: Donald MacCallum (Parish) 1896–1923: John MacKay (Kinloch Free/UF) 1903–13: Duncan MacLeod (Carloway UF) 1914–27: Donald MacArthur (Lochs UF) 1921–43: Duncan Matheson (Parish/Bernera) 1924–27: John MacKay II (Kinloch UF) 1925–28: Kenneth Maclean (Carloway UF) 1928–33: Donald Macleod (Lochs UF/Crossbost) 1931–64: Murdo Maclennan (Carloway) 1933–36: Duncan Mackenzie (Crossbost) 1933–44: Murdo MacSween (Kinloch) 1936–50: Murdo MacKay (Crossbost) 1943–46: Norman Morrison (Bernera) 1944–57 (Kinloch), 1965–70 (Carloway): Angus MacKillop 1950–82: Neil MacDonald (Crossbost) 1951–66: William M. MacDonald (Bernera) 1959–67: Roderick Murray (Kinloch) 1963–67: William Mackenzie (Park) 1967–74: Duncan MacAskill (Bernera) 1968–77: David MacInnes (Kinloch) 1968–91: Donald Macaulay (Park) 1971–79: John MacArthur (Carloway) 1975–79: Roderick Stewart (Bernera) 1977–86: Norman MacSween (Kinloch) 1983–85: Donald Maclean (Carloway) 1988–94: Bruce Gardner (Carloway) 1989: Kenneth MacLeod (Bernera) 1989: Donald MacLennan (Kinloch) 1993: Andrew Coghill (Crossbost) 1997: Murdo Campbell (Carloway) Stornoway:
1601: Robert Durie 1640s: Farquhar Clerk c.1648–80: Donald Morrison c.1680–1720: Kenneth Morrison 1724–46: Daniel Morrison 1747–72: John Clark 1773–78: John Downie 1789–1815: Colin Mackenzie 1815–24: Simon Fraser 1825–44: John Cameron 1844–46: John Lees 1847–77 (Parish): John Macrae 1849–54 (Free): Duncan MacGregor 1855–68 (Free): Peter MacLean 1861–63 (UP): George Graham 1866–70 (UP): James Holmes 1872–99 (Free): James Greenfield 1872–76 (UP): Charles McEwing 1876–97 (English Free): Donald Martin 1878–81 (Parish): Archibald MacDonald 1879–1908 (UP/James St): James Hunter 1881–94 (Parish): Alexander Stuart 1894–97 (Parish): Hector MacKinnon 1895–1902 (Free/High UF): Peter MacDonald 1897–1901 (English Free/UF): John S. MacDonald 1897–1903 (Parish): Donald MacKinnon 1902–06 (English UF): Alexander Murray 1903–11 (High UF): Walter Calder 1904–13 (Parish): John McCallum 1907–13 (English UF): Alexander McIver 1908–13 (James St): John Telfer 1911–49 (High UF/High): Roderick Morrison 1913–20 (English UF): George Mills 1913–19 (Parish): John Menzies 1921–24 (English UF): Alexander White 1921–22 (Parish): Murdo Macleod 1922–24 (Parish): Alexander Ross 1924–29 (Parish): John Mackenzie 1924–27 (English UF): Donald MacInnes 1928–31 (English UF/Martin's): Robert Inglis 1930–35 (St Columba's): Angus MacLeod 1932–34 (Martin's): Thomas Donn 1935–45 (St Columba's): Lachlan Macleod 1936–45 (Martin's): Ian Carmichael 1946–67 (St Columba's): Roderick MacDonald 1946–49 (Martin's): John Skinner 1950–60 (Martin's): John de Lingen 1950–80 (High): Angus MacCuish 1961–64 (Martin's): Donald Gillies 1965–75 (Martin's): Colin MacLean 1969–85 (St Columba's): Kenneth MacLeod 1976 (Martin's): Thomas Sinclair 1981–94 (High): Roderick Morrison 1986–98 (St Columba's): David Wright 1998 (High): William Black
Uig:
fl. 1572: Ronald Anguson 1726–41: John MacLeod 1742–77: Norman Morrison 1774–1823: Hugh Munro 1824–43 (Parish/Free): Alexander MacLeod 1845–56 (Parish): David Watson 1846–85 (Free): John Campbell 1857–58 (Parish): James Gunn 1859–75 (Parish): Roderick Fraser 1876–89 (Parish): Angus MacIver 1879–87 (Free): Duncan Morrison 1889–97 (Free): Nicol Campbell 1890–1905 (Parish): John McPhail 1899–1910 (Free/UF): Donald MacArthur 1906–19 (Parish): Allan Mackenzie 1912–20 (UF): James MacNiven 1922–27 (Parish): Murdo MacLeod 1923–62 (UF/Uigen): Norman MacLeod 1928–30 (Parish): Roderick McInnes 1931–50 (Baile-na-cille): Norman Morrison 1951–79 (Baile-na-cille): Angus MacFarlane 1964 (Uigen/Parish): William MacLeod
Register of current and former buildings ChurchFoundedClosedSt Columba's, Eye or UidhMedievalC18thSt Lennan's, Stornoway16301794St Olaf's/Aula's, GressMedievalC19thCross Old Church1829TCLionel Mission Hall, Nessc. 2010Callanish Mission Hallc. 2017Lemreway Church2025
References