Presbytery of Lewis


The Presbytery of Lewis is one of the twelve principal presbyteries of the Church of Scotland.
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 the Presbytery of Skye. The presbytery of Lewis was created in 1742 by the division of the Presbytery of Long Island 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.
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.
ParishPopulationFormer parishesBuildingsFoundedMinisterMembership
Barvas1,988BarvasMedievalVacant72
Carloway946Carloway, ShawbostCarloway Duncan M. MacAskill 45
Cross Ness1,256CrossVacant56
Kinloch918ParkLaxayIain M. Campbell 31
Knock2,258Knock 1829TCGuardianship
Donald W. MacDonald 		24
Lochs-Crossbost892Lochs-Crossbost MedievalGuardianship6
Lochs-In-Bernera l/w Uig252Lochs-in-Bernera Hugh Maurice Stewart 28
Lochs-In-Bernera l/w Uig397Uig MedievalHugh Maurice Stewart 17
Stornoway: High10,751Stornoway High 1845 Gordon Macleod 92
Stornoway: Martin's Memorial10,751Martin's Memorial, Stornoway
1875 Tommy MacNeil Brian Macleod 345
Stornoway: St Columba's10,751GressSt Columba's, Stornoway1794William Heenan 118

Congregational history

  • Barvas Parish Church
  • * Barvas Parish Church, formerly Barvas and Ness Parish Church, formerly St Mary's Parish Church, Barvas
  • * Barvas United Free Church, formerly Barvas Free Church
  • Carloway Parish Church, formerly Carloway United Free Church, formerly Carloway and Callernish Free Church
  • Cross Ness Parish Church, formerly Cross Parish Church
  • * Cross Parish Church, formerly Ness Parliamentary Chapel, formerly St Peter's Parish Church, Ness
  • * Ness Parish Church, formerly Cross United Free Church, formerly Cross Free Church
  • Kinloch Parish Church
  • * Kinloch Parish Church, formerly Kinloch United Free Church, formerly Kinloch Free Church
  • * Park Parish Church, formerly Park Church Extension Charge
  • Knock Parish Church
  • * Knock Parish Church, formerly Ey Parliamentary Chapel, formerly St Columba's Parish Church, Ey
  • * Knock United Free Church, formerly Knock Free Church
  • Lochs Crossbost Parish Church, formerly Lochs United Free Church, formerly Lochs Free Church
  • Lochs in Bernera Parish Church, formerly Lochs Parish Church, formerly St Columba's Parish Church, Lochs
  • Stornoway High Parish Church, formerly Stornoway High United Free Church, formerly Stornoway Free Church
  • Stornoway Martin's Memorial Parish Church, formerly Stornoway English United Free Church
  • * Stornoway English United Free Church, formerly Stornoway English Free Church
  • * Stornoway James Street United Free Church, formerly Stornoway United Presbyterian Church
  • Stornoway St Columba's Parish Church, formerly Stornoway Parish Church, formerly Stornoway, Gress and Ey Parish Church, formerly Stornoway, Gress, Ey, Lochs and Uig Parish Church
  • * St Adamnan's Parish Church, Stornoway
  • * St Olaf's Parish Church, Gress
  • Uig Parish Church
  • * Uig Baile-na-cille Parish Church, formerly Uig Parish Church, formerly St Coman's Parish Church, Uig
  • * Uig Uigen Parish Church, formerly Uig United Free Church, formerly '''Uig Free Church'''

Ministers

Barvas:
  1. fl. 1566: Patrick Martin
  2. fl. 1642: Murdoch McHuiston
  3. 1643-1670s: Donald Morrison
  4. 1670s–1699: Donald Morrison II
  5. 1692–1723: Alan Morrison
  6. 1726–1767: Murdoch Morrison
  7. 1767–1789: Alexander MacKay
  8. 1790–1812: Donald MacDonald
  9. 1813–56: William MacRae
  10. 1856–58: John Reid
  11. 1857–87 : Allan MacArthur
  12. 1858–92 : James Strachan
  13. 1859–76 : Donald MacMaster
  14. 1877–80 : John MacLean
  15. 1881 : Hector Cameron
  16. 1888–1902 : Neil Morrison
  17. 1893–1911 : Lachlan MacKinnon
  18. 1903–23 : Donald Morrison
  19. 1911–24 : Norman Laing
  20. 1925–32 : Murdo Mackay
  21. 1935–47: Donald Macdonald
  22. 1949–52: James Mackay
  23. 1953–62: John Macnaughton
  24. 1966–73: Alexander Morrison
  25. 1973–81: Aonghas Macdonald
  26. 1981–90: Hector Morrison
  27. 1993: Ivor Macdonald
Cross or Ness:
  1. 1829–33: Finlay Cook
  2. 1833–39: John MacRae
  3. 1840–43: John Finlayson
  4. 1844–76: Donald MacRae
  5. 1853–57: James Gunn
  6. 1857–59: Roderick Fraser
  7. 1859–60: James Bain
  8. 1861–78: Donald MacKay
  9. 1879–91: Duncan MacBeath
  10. 1878–87, 88–89: Godfrey MacRae
  11. 1893–1938: Donald M. MacDonald
  12. 1900–05: John MacKay
  13. 1905–34: John MacPhail
  14. 1941–64: Malcolm Smith
  15. 1965–73: Duncan MacKinnon
  16. 1973–80: John Ferguson
  17. 1982–91: Alexander Macdonald
  18. 1993–98: Kenneth MacPherson
Knock or Ey:
  1. 1829–31: Robert Finlayson
  2. 1831–44: Duncan Matheson
  3. 1845–66: Donald Murray
  4. 1849–60: Alexander Bethune
  5. 1861–64: James MacDonald
  6. 1864–70: Ewen Campbell
  7. 1869–85: Malcolm MacRitchie
  8. 1870–73: Colin MacDonald
  9. 1874: Alexander Carmichael
  10. 1875–77: John Gillies
  11. 1878–91: Donald MacKay
  12. 1886–1928: George MacLeod
  13. 1892–95: Archibald McCallum
  14. 1895–1926: Angus MacLeod
  15. 1930–35: Lachlan Macleod
  16. 1937–63: Harry MacKinnon
  17. 1964–82: William MacDonald
  18. 1984: James MacDonald
Lochs:
  1. 1724–59: Colin Mackenzie
  2. 1760–67: Alexander Mackay
  3. 1768–84: James Wilson
  4. 1784–92: John Fraser
  5. 1793–1830: Alexander Simpson
  6. 1831–56: Robert Finlayson
  7. 1844–69: Roderick Reid
  8. 1857–64: John MacRae
  9. 1858–63: John McLean
  10. 1865–75, 1895 : George Campbell
  11. 1870–89: Ewen Campbell
  12. 1874: Roderick Ross
  13. 1876–1902: Roderick MacRae
  14. 1876–81: Hector Cameron
  15. 1885–1901: John MacDougall
  16. 1885–96: John MacDonald
  17. 1886–88, 1902–13, 1913–23 : Neil Morrison
  18. 1889: Hector Kennedy
  19. 1890–1920: Donald MacCallum
  20. 1896–1923: John MacKay
  21. 1903–13: Duncan MacLeod
  22. 1914–27: Donald MacArthur
  23. 1921–43: Duncan Matheson
  24. 1924–27: John MacKay II
  25. 1925–28: Kenneth Maclean
  26. 1928–33: Donald Macleod
  27. 1931–64: Murdo Maclennan
  28. 1933–36: Duncan Mackenzie
  29. 1933–44: Murdo MacSween
  30. 1936–50: Murdo MacKay
  31. 1943–46: Norman Morrison
  32. 1944–57, 1965–70 : Angus MacKillop
  33. 1950–82: Neil MacDonald
  34. 1951–66: William M. MacDonald
  35. 1959–67: Roderick Murray
  36. 1963–67: William Mackenzie
  37. 1967–74: Duncan MacAskill
  38. 1968–77: David MacInnes
  39. 1968–91: Donald Macaulay
  40. 1971–79: John MacArthur
  41. 1975–79: Roderick Stewart
  42. 1977–86: Norman MacSween
  43. 1983–85: Donald Maclean
  44. 1988–94: Bruce Gardner
  45. 1989: Kenneth MacLeod
  46. 1989: Donald MacLennan
  47. 1993: Andrew Coghill
  48. 1997: Murdo Campbell
Stornoway:
  1. 1601: Robert Durie
  2. 1640s: Farquhar Clerk
  3. c.1648–80: Donald Morrison
  4. c.1680–1720: Kenneth Morrison
  5. 1724–46: Daniel Morrison
  6. 1747–72: John Clark
  7. 1773–78: John Downie
  8. 1789–1815: Colin Mackenzie
  9. 1815–24: Simon Fraser
  10. 1825–44: John Cameron
  11. 1844–46: John Lees
  12. 1847–77 : John Macrae
  13. 1849–54 : Duncan MacGregor
  14. 1855–68 : Peter MacLean
  15. 1861–63 : George Graham
  16. 1866–70 : James Holmes
  17. 1872–99 : James Greenfield
  18. 1872–76 : Charles McEwing
  19. 1876–97 : Donald Martin
  20. 1878–81 : Archibald MacDonald
  21. 1879–1908 : James Hunter
  22. 1881–94 : Alexander Stuart
  23. 1894–97 : Hector MacKinnon
  24. 1895–1902 : Peter MacDonald
  25. 1897–1901 : John S. MacDonald
  26. 1897–1903 : Donald MacKinnon
  27. 1902–06 : Alexander Murray
  28. 1903–11 : Walter Calder
  29. 1904–13 : John McCallum
  30. 1907–13 : Alexander McIver
  31. 1908–13 : John Telfer
  32. 1911–49 : Roderick Morrison
  33. 1913–20 : George Mills
  34. 1913–19 : John Menzies
  35. 1921–24 : Alexander White
  36. 1921–22 : Murdo Macleod
  37. 1922–24 : Alexander Ross
  38. 1924–29 : John Mackenzie
  39. 1924–27 : Donald MacInnes
  40. 1928–31 : Robert Inglis
  41. 1930–35 : Angus MacLeod
  42. 1932–34 : Thomas Donn
  43. 1935–45 : Lachlan Macleod
  44. 1936–45 : Ian Carmichael
  45. 1946–67 : Roderick MacDonald
  46. 1946–49 : John Skinner
  47. 1950–60 : John de Lingen
  48. 1950–80 : Angus MacCuish
  49. 1961–64 : Donald Gillies
  50. 1965–75 : Colin MacLean
  51. 1969–85 : Kenneth MacLeod
  52. 1976 : Thomas Sinclair
  53. 1981–94 : Roderick Morrison
  54. 1986–98 : David Wright
  55. 1998 : William Black
Uig:
  1. fl. 1572: Ronald Anguson
  2. 1726–41: John MacLeod
  3. 1742–77: Norman Morrison
  4. 1774–1823: Hugh Munro
  5. 1824–43 : Alexander MacLeod
  6. 1845–56 : David Watson
  7. 1846–85 : John Campbell
  8. 1857–58 : James Gunn
  9. 1859–75 : Roderick Fraser
  10. 1876–89 : Angus MacIver
  11. 1879–87 : Duncan Morrison
  12. 1889–97 : Nicol Campbell
  13. 1890–1905 : John McPhail
  14. 1899–1910 : Donald MacArthur
  15. 1906–19 : Allan Mackenzie
  16. 1912–20 : James MacNiven
  17. 1922–27 : Murdo MacLeod
  18. 1923–62 : Norman MacLeod
  19. 1928–30 : Roderick McInnes
  20. 1931–50 : Norman Morrison
  21. 1951–79 : Angus MacFarlane
  22. 1964 : William MacLeod