About our Shop

The award-winning Uig Community Shop looks over the stunning vista of Traigh Uige (Uig Beach), world-famous as the location of the discovery of the Lewis Chessmen.

Made up of several small crofting villages, the community of Uig clings bravely onto the wild Atlantic coast of the Hebridean island of Lewis. It is a remote community being some 40 miles from the islands only town of Stornoway.

In 2003 Uig’s only shop was put up for sale due to retirement. With the prospect of losing lifeline services, the community took matters into its own hands. With a combination of local money and grant assistance, the community not only purchased the business but managed to subsequently improve and expand the premises thereby extending the range of services available, providing a modern facility, and increasing turnover.

The running of our community-owned shop is overseen by a voluntary management committee which employs a team of staff to operate the business, Indeed the shop is one of the largest employers in the community.

In recent years the community’s commitment to safeguarding its own shop and its vision of achieving more than sustainability and assisting other enterprises in the community has been recognised at a Scottish and UK level, being finalists for awards recognising community involvement and even winning a Scottish Local Retailer Award in 2019. A fantastic achievement for our community.

When the worst of the Winter weather has passed we are able to welcome even more visitors from all over the world who come to enjoy the place we call home. The Uig population swells and the shop staff are kept busy. If you have booked a holiday cottage we can stock it up before you arrive. We are familiar with most of the holiday rental cottages in Uig and can arrange access and deliver goods so that you can travel without the worry of shopping.

We would like everyone to share in the ethos of our shop. A community committed to protecting its own services and identity while providing a positive, happy, and service-led retail experience.

Even if you don’t buy anything we hope that you leave with a smile.