Breasclete
Looking south west over Loch Roag towards the Uig Hills
Breasclete is located in Outer Hebrides
Breasclete
Breasclete
Location within the Outer Hebrides
LanguageScottish Gaelic
English
OS grid referenceNB217353
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode districtHS2
Dialling code01851
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
Websitebreasclete.com
List of places
UK
Scotland
58°13′08″N 6°44′24″W / 58.219°N 6.740°W / 58.219; -6.740

Breasclete (Scottish Gaelic: Brèascleit) is a village and community on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Breasclete is within the parish of Uig,[1] and is situated adjacent to the A858.[2]

History

Breasclete has several stone circles,[3][4][5] as well as various cairns.[6][7] The Bronze Age-era Olcote kerbed cairn, south of the settlement, was excavated in 1995 during road works, by CFA Archaeology, and the site seems to form part of a wider ceremonial complex.[8][9] The cairn contained a cist burial and the archaeologists believe there was a satellite cist burial on the outside of the cairn but due to the acidity of the soil no bones survived to confirm this.[10] The local pier, situated west of the settlement, was built in the early 20th century, and has a quay of similar construction.[11]

Community

One of the main services in the village is Breasclete Primary School, which has a current total of 27 children. There is a thriving community with the new Hall as the base for a number of community groups and organisations.[citation needed]

Economy

The village also hosts the Equatec facility, a pharmaceutical facility dedicated to fatty acid research and production, which has now been taken over by German giant BASF in June 2012.[12]

Other businesses located in the area include Scottish Fish Farm who have a number of sites in East Loch Roag,[13] and Hebridean Soap who operate from their base in Breasclete.[14]

Traditional industries like Harris Tweed also offer employment, and crofting is at the heart of the community.

References

  1. ^ "Details of Breasclete". Scottish Places. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  2. ^ "A858". Sabre. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Lewis, Breasclete". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Callanish, Breasclete Park (New Park)". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Breasclete, Cnoc Gearraidh Nighean Choinnich". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Lewis, Breasclete, Cnoc Na H-Inghinn A' Ruaidha". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Lewis, Breasclete". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  8. ^ "Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports (SAIR)". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  9. ^ "Lewis, Callanish, Olcote, Breasclete Park". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  10. ^ "Vol 13 (2005): Excavation of a Bronze Age kerbed cairn at Olcote, Breasclete, Near Calanais, Isle of Lewis | Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports". journals.socantscot.org. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Lewis, Breasclete, Pier". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  12. ^ "BASF Pharma (Callanish) Limited". www.basf.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Producing Scottish salmon with pride and passion". The Scottish Salmon Company. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  14. ^ "Welcome". Hebridean Soap Company. Retrieved 5 October 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Breasclete.
Lewis and Harris
Category