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Some of the iconic Uig Chessmen are to return to the place they were found for a brief exhibition this afternoon.

A knight, pawn, warder, king, queen and bishop will be on display from 11.30am-4pm at Uig Museum, Timsgarry overlooking the stretching Uig sands near where they were discovered in the 17th century.

It marks the end of a major touring exhibition on the chess pieces at Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway.

It coincides with a major “homecoming” exhibition of the walrus-ivory artefact on Lewis where they were found.

The majority of the 93 figures were acquired by the British Museum while 11 pieces are held by the National Museum of Scotland.

The hoard of valuable Viking treasures were found amongst stone bothies in a small glen by the stunning sandy beach at Ardroil by crofter Calum Macleod of nearby Pennydonald.

It contains pieces from at least four chess-sets and as the largest and best group of early chessmen to survive, they are one of the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made in Scotland and are of major international importance.

Baile na Cille Church in Uig, now in private ownership, will also be open to visitors this afternoon. The B-listed building was designed by Thomas Telford and built in 1828.

It can seat 1,000 parishioners and was originally developed to cope with a massive religious revival which emerged in Uig in the early 1820s and spread across Lewis.

Over that decade immense crowds of people were spiritually awoken by the gospel and it is said that seven thousand attended communion services in Uig.

It was also the longest active church in Lewis until services ceased in recent years.

 

 

 

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Famous Uig chessmen return home for a day             13/9/11