Monument record 353 - EILEAN NA GOTHAIL, LEWIS

NB43SW 10 426 321.

'A fort in an island about a quarter of a mile from the town' shown on plan (preserved in Worcester College, Oxford) of the Cromwellian defences of Stornoway (See NB27NE5) clearly Eilean na Gothail. ' At what time it was first fortified, it is difficult to say, Among the proposals for the fishery scheme ( of c. 1633-40) was one that, for the protection of the harbour, a fort should be built on an island which answers to the description of Goat Island; and 10 pieces of ordnance were to be sent for its defence.'
'On 5th July 1653, Lilburn informed Cromwell that Seaforth was 'resolute for the King and is fortifying a small island near Stornoway'.' Other possible references given 'On the north and south-east sides of Goat Island, there are distinct indications of what may be, and probably are, the foundations of forts, both semi-circular in shape; they consist of stones, some of them large, projecting through mounds of sward.' 'A plan of Stornoway, dated 1st July 1789, shows that there was a structure of some sort on Goat Island, which may very well have been what was left of one of the forts. The structure was surmounted by a flagstaff.'
W C MacKenzie 1919.

Eilean na Gothail is now joined to the mainland by a causeway. No traces of fortifications are visible.
Visited by OS (A L F R) assistent archaeology officer, 21 April 1964.

Goat Island (Eilean na Gobhail) was supposedly home to a second Cromwellian Fort (J,figure 8), probably chosen to guard the entrance into the harbour.There is also a suggestion that a slightly earlier fort existed here prior to that. No trace of any defensive structure is visible today, but small, semi-circular stone foundations cuold be seen earlier this century. Any developments on the island should therefore be carefully monitored.'(E.Dennison and R.Coleman,1997,51)

Eilean na Gothail is heavily overbuilt, and there is no evidence of any surviving archaeological remains at all.
MML 23.9.99

W C Mackenzie, 1919, The Book of the Lews: the story of a Hebridean Isle, 103-5 (Bibliographic reference). SWE12815.

Burgess, Christopher & Church, Michael, 1997, Coastal Erosion Assessment, Lewis. A Report for Historic Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41000.