Visit Outer Hebrides (Outer Hebrides Tourism) is partnering with Lewis Crofters to provide visitor information services in Stornoway from this April.
Visit Outer Hebrides will share premises with Zone 1, The Crofters’ new town-centre
retail store and together they will offer support to visitors on local services,
activities, attractions and events, as well as retailing a range of goods for visitors
and locals.
The facility is based at 26 Cromwell Street, the same shop the VisitScotland iCentre previously operated from.
VisitScotland axed its last Western Isles information centre in October saying most holidaymakers use online resources and travel specialists to research and book their trips. This includes arranging accommodation and activities before they arrive at their destination.
The Stornoway town centre premises closed in October leaving Scotland’s national tourism agency without a visible presence in the Hebrides.
Tourist offices were shut in Lochmaddy, Lochboisdale, Castlebay and Tarbert over six years ago though private or community ventures continued to provide some information services for visitors.
All VisitScotland information centres across Scotland are being abolished as part
of phased two-year closure programme.
Stornoway was included in the first phase. A number of others will shutting later this year.
Sarah Maclean of Visit Outer Hebrides said there was “dismay and concern” in the islands at the closure of the island’s last visitor centre.
The new visitor information service will be in operation for the beginning of the 2025 visitor season, she added.
“There was understandably genuine dismay and concern in the islands at the closure of the island’s last visitor centre last year and we are extremely grateful to Lewis Crofters for the opportunity to create a new, locally orientated offer that builds on the success of our visitouterhebrides.co.uk digital resources.”
Steven Macphail of Lewis Crofters said they were “keen to ensure an element of continuity remained in terms of visitor information in Cromwell Street but we weren’t sure how or what to do until we opened up a bit of dialogue with Visit Outer Hebrides.
“We are looking forward to bringing mutual benefit to both our organisations whilst also filling the visitor information gap locally.”
New tourist information centre to open in Stornoway
20 February 2025
