Point (Eye Peninsula or An Rudha)

Found on the east coast of the Isle of Lewis, Point is a small peninsula joined to the rest of the island by a narrow isthmus of golden sands one mile long and barely 100m wide. Point has a proud heritage and a distinctive character of it's own.  From the dramatic memorial cairn sitting prominently on the Braighe to the towering beacon of the Tiumpanhead lighthouse, Point is a place of beautiful scenery, remarkable history, stunning wildlife and vibrant communities. 

Point (an Rudha in Gaelic) is currently home to approximately 2000 people, inhabiting 14 villages along the 11 mile length of the peninsula. Community spirit is strong and much work is being done to develop and revitalise facilities such as community centres and the Point playing fields.  Gaelic is spoken by many in the area and people work to maintain the area's cultural heritage. Although most people work in Stornoway, crofting  still plays a significant part in the way of life of many Rudhachs.

A popular ancient myth tells the story of how the people of Point saved the rest of the inhabitants of Lewis:

Back in the mists of time, Point was a separate island to the rest of Lewis. One dark winter's night, a violent and ferocious storm pounded the west coast of Scotland. As the gigantic waves crashed and crashed, Lewis began to drift hopelessly out into the Atlantic. The people of Point saw this happening and braved the storm to get a rope across to Lewis and stopped it floating away. Over time, around that rope gathered seaweed, algae and sand which eventually accumulated so that an isthmus was formed between Point and Lewis. Thus, according to the myth, the people of Lewis owe a great debt to the inhabitants of Point for saving them that night.