麻豆精选

The Garrabost Mill Trust (GMT) was created to preserve the mill site, other buildings and items of historical interest. 

The Trust received funding of 拢83,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (麻豆精选), matched by community-owned wind farm charity, Point and Sandwick Trust (PST) to refurbish and develop the building.  

The mill came into community ownership in January 2023 and has since undergone significant work with re-roofing, improved access, safeguarding the buildings and improvements to the site at large.

Garrabost Mill Trust Chairman, Calum Graham, said:

鈥淕arrabost Mill Trust have plans to develop the whole site as a crofting community heritage centre, building on the significant structural preservation and development work that has been completed to date. The core purpose of our work in developing a heritage centre is to provide an illustrative and informative account of the lived experience of crofting, fishing, weaving, industrial enterprises, military and Merchant Navy service, and other activities, here in Garrabost.

"All such activities have been part and parcel of everyday life through the ages in this community as a crofting township in the Western Isles. We want to to deliver an exciting, informative experience to visitors. 

"Without the commitment of PST and its initial financial input, the purchase of the Mill and its outbuildings by Garrabost Mill Trust would not have been remotely possible. The additional funding from PST and 麻豆精选 to date has been vital to our delivering of the project, and we remain grateful to all our funders for their support. Without the support and commitment of PST, this exciting project would not have been feasible."

Natalie Campbell, Head of Enterprise 麻豆精选 at 麻豆精选, said, 鈥淭his project is a great example of community-driven tourism, deeply rooted in crofting and local cultural heritage. The initial phase, which we were delighted to support, successfully transformed the external appearance of the mill and its outbuildings and the results are impressive.

鈥淭his second phase aims to enhance the site鈥檚 readiness to welcome visitors. It鈥檚 a tremendous initiative that will create jobs and preserve historic buildings in a community where Gaelic is an integral part of daily life. We are looking forward to seeing the project taking shape.鈥�

The Garrabost Mill was in commercial operation, milling barley and oatmeal for local crofting communities between 1893 and 1956 and, once fully restored, will offer a unique insight into the lives of the crofting community in Lewis.   

The completed site will include visitor access to the restored mill, its operational mill wheel and meal drying floor, with dedicated artwork and visual content reflecting the history of the mill, crofting and early industrial activity in the area.  The outbuildings, built from original Garrabost brick have also been restored and will house, among other items, an operational tweed loom, a working model T Ford.

A commitment totalling 拢660,686 has been made to the restoration works including the latest funding of 拢83,137 respectively from 麻豆精选 and PST. Other funders include Architectural Heritage Fund, Crown Estates Funding and Third Sector Hebrides via Landfill grant. 

Ionad Dualchas Croitearachd ann an Le貌dhas air c霉rsa airson fosgladh ann an 2025

Tha Muileann Gharrabost 130 bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois agus a-nis a鈥� tighinn gu 矛re dheatamach den phr貌iseact ath-霉rachaidh agus leasachaidh, le obair a鈥� gluasad bho d矛on na togalaichean gu cruthachadh ionad dualchas poballach, an d脿 chuid airson daoine ionadail agus luchd-turais.

Tha togalaichean agus l脿rach a鈥� Mhuileann fo shealbh Urras Muileann Gharrabost (UMG), buidheann carthannach a chaidh a st猫idheachadh an toiseach airson l脿rach a鈥� Mhuileann a ghl猫idheadh, a thuilleadh air togalaichean eile ann Garrabost agus rudan de dh鈥櫭筰dh eachdraidheil. Tha an t-Urras air tuilleadh maoineachadh fhaighinn o chionn ghoirid, le 拢83,000 bho Iomairt na G脿idhealtachd is nan Eilean (IGE), agus am maoineachadh sin air a mhaidseadh leis a鈥� charthannas tuathanas-gaoithe coimhearsnachd, Urras an Rubha agus Shanndabhaig (URS).

Thuirt cathraiche Urras Muileann Gharrabost, Calum Greumach: 鈥淭ha planaichean aig Urras Muileann Gharrabost airson an l脿rach gu l猫ir a leasachadh mar ionad dualchas coimhearsnachd croitearachd, a鈥� togail air an obair gl猫idheadh agus leasachaidh a chaidh a dh猫anamh gu ruige seo. 鈥橲 e pr矛omh amas na h-obair againn le bhith a鈥� leasachadh ionad dualchas gun tabhair sinn iomradh fiosrachail agus m矛neachail air beath-e貌las croitearachd, iasgach, breabadaireachd, gn矛omhachas, seirbhis san arm agus a鈥� Chabhlach Marsanta, agus gn矛omhan eile, an seo ann an Garrabost. Tha a h-uile gn矛omh sin air a bhith nam p脿irt de bheatha l脿itheil anns a鈥� choimhearsnachd mar bhaile croitearach anns na h-Eileanan an Iar. Tha sinn ag amas air taisbeanadh fiosrachail agus brosnachail a l矛bhrigeadh do luchd-tadhal, an d脿 chuid daoine ionadail agus luchd-turais.鈥�

Thuirt e cuideachd: 鈥溍�s aonais a鈥� ghealltanas bho URS agus an t-airgead t霉sail aca, cha bhiodh e comasach idir dhuinn am Muileann agus na togalaichean eile a cheannachd. Tha am maoineachadh a bharrachd bho URS agus IGE air a bhith deatamach airson l矛bhrigeadh a鈥� phr貌iseact, agus tha sinn gu math taingeil do ar maoineacharan airson an taic aca. 脌s aonais an taic agus gealltanas bho URS, cha bhiodh am pr貌iseact brosnachail seo comasach idir.鈥�

Chaidh am muileann 19mh linn a-steach a shealbhachd coimhearsnachd anns an Fhaoilleach 2023, agus bhon uair sin chaidh obair m貌r a dh猫anamh le ath-mhullachadh, leasachadh-inntrigidh, d矛on na togalaichean agus leasachadh don l脿rach anns an fharsaingeachd.

Thuirt Natalie Caimbeul, Ceannard Taic Iomairt aig IGE: 鈥溾�橲 e eisimpleir m矛orbhaileach a th鈥檃nns a鈥� phr貌iseact seo de thurasachd air a sti霉ireadh le coimhearsnachdan, st猫idhichte gu m貌r ann an croitearachd agus dualchas cultarail ionadail. Bha sinn gu math toilichte taic a thoirt don 矛re t霉sail, a bha soirbheachail ann a bhith a鈥� leasachadh cruth taobh-a-muigh a鈥� mhuileann agus na togalaichean a-muigh, agus tha na toraidhean math dha r矛ribh.

鈥淭ha an d脿rna 矛re seo ag amas air an l脿rach a dh猫anamh deiseil airson f脿ilte a chuir air luchd-tadhal. 鈥橲 e iomairt iongantach a th鈥檃nn, a chruthaicheas obraichean agus a鈥� ghl猫idheas togalaichean eachdraidheil ann an coimhearsnachd far a bheil G脿idhlig na ph脿irt bunaiteach de bheatha l脿itheil. Tha sinn a鈥� coimhead air adhart ris a鈥� phr貌iseact fhaicinn a鈥� tighinn ri ch猫ile.

Bha Muileann Gharrabost ag obair gu marsantachd air e貌rna agus coirce airson coimhearsnachdan croitearachd ionadail eadar 1893 agus 1956, agus nuair a tha e air ath-霉rachadh gu l猫ir, bheir e sealladh s貌nraichte air beathan dhaoine ann an Le貌dhas. Bidh iomadh goireas aig an l脿rach nuair a tha e deiseil, mar inntrigeadh luchd-tadhal don mhuileann ath-霉raichte, an roth-muilinn agus an lann-t矛oraidh, le ealan agus taisbeanadh-s霉la a鈥� sealltainn eachdraidh a鈥� mhuileann, croitearachd, agus gn矛omhachas tr脿th anns an sg矛re. Tha na togalaichean a-muigh, air an togail le breigeachan Gharrabost t霉sail, cuideachd air an ath-霉rachadh, agus nam broinn bidh rudan mar beart-cl貌imhe agus Ford Modail T obrachail.

Chaidh gealladh de 拢660,686 gu l猫ir a dh猫anamh airson an obair ath-霉rachaidh, a鈥� gabhail a-steach am maoineachadh as 霉ra de 拢83,137 bho IGE agus URS. Am measg maoineacharan eile tha an t-Ionmhas Dualchas Ailtireach, Maoineachadh Oighreachd a鈥� Chr霉n, agus Third Sector Hebrides tron tabhartas Landfill.