Tong, Lewis

Tong (/tʌŋ/; Scottish Gaelic: Tunga) is a village on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, 4 miles (6 kilometres) northeast of the main town of Stornoway on the B895 road to Back and Tolsta.[1] The population of the village is 527 (2001 census). Fishing forms part of the local economy.[2]

Tong
  • Scottish Gaelic: Tunga

Tong Village
Tong
Location within the Outer Hebrides
Population527 (2001)
LanguageScottish Gaelic
English
OS grid referenceNB448365
Civil parish
Council area
  • Na h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode districtHS2
Dialling code01851
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

History

Between 1919 and 1921, Tong, along with nearby Coll and Gress, was the scene of several land raids (see the Coll, Lewis article for more).

Facilities

The village has a community centre with a football pitch and a primary school. Its religious establishments include a Free Church of Scotland mission house and a Scottish Episcopal Church meeting house. On 6 August 2014 The Tong Shop (Bùth Thunga) opened in the former Episcopal Church building. The shop is open from Monday to Saturday and it sells a range of essentials such as milk and bread, as well as local produce such as vegetables and Stornoway black pudding.

Culture and sport

Every July the Lewis Highland Games and Western Isles Strongest man are held at the community centre with heavy events such as tossing the caber, Highland dancing, bagpipe competitions and other attractions taking place on the football pitch. The Lewis Highland Games have been held at Tong since 1977 and is the second oldest Games on the isle of Lewis. The local football club is Tong FC.

Notable people
  • Sìne NicFhionnlaigh (Jean Finlayson), who composed the song "Fear a' bhàta" lived in Tong in the 1800s.
  • Mary Anne MacLeod (Màiri Anna NicLeòid, 1912–2000), mother of businessman and President of the United States Donald Trump, was born in Tong and moved to the US in 1930.
  • Alasdair White, the current fiddler with the Battlefield Band.
  • Calum Martin, singer/songwriter and precentor of Gaelic psalms.
  • Fàilte gu Tunga (entering Tong from direction of Coll)
  • View towards Point (An Rubha), Broadbay (Loch a Tuath) and Stornoway Airport (Port-adhair Steòrnabhagh)
  • Tong football pitch and community centre
  • Tong Community Centre
  • Main Road looking towards Coll
  • Towards Coll
  • Towards the crossroads
  • Into the village (Point across the bay in the background)
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References
  1. Maps (Map). Google Maps.
  2. Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (1957). Parliamentary debates (Hansard).: House of Commons official report. H.M.S.O. Retrieved 20 May 2012.


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