Mealista

Mealista
Scottish Gaelic: Mealasta
Mealasta beach
Mealista  Mealista shown within the Outer Hebrides
Language	Scottish Gaelic
	English
OS grid reference	NA991241
Civil parish	Uig
Council area	Na h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy area	Western Isles
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode district	HS2
Dialling code	01851
Police	Scottish
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish Parliament	Western Isles
List of places UK Scotland

Coordinates: 58°06′14″N 7°06′29″W / 58.104°N 7.108°W

Mealista (Scottish Gaelic: Mealasta) was a township in the west of the Isle of Lewis. It is currently largely uninhabited due to the Highland Clearances, which occurred there in 1838.^[1]

Mealista is a name of Norse origin, melr-stadhr, meaning 'lyme-grass steading'.^[1] Mealasta lends its name to Eilean Mhealasta which is just to the southwest. The area of Mealasta is known to be the location of a medieval settlement, with a possible nunnery on the headland.^[2]

During World War II, fourteen of the survivors of the merchant ship SS Geraldine Mary reached shore at Mealista in August 1940.^[3] The ship had been torpedoed, off the coast of Ireland, by the German U-Boat U-52.^[4][5][6]

References

1. "Mealista". Hebridean Connections. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
2. "Data structure report of small-scale sampling at Mealasta, Lewis, Western Isles of Scotland.". Durham University. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
3. "Mealasta Beaches". Welcome to Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
4. "Canadian & Newfoundland Merchantmen Lost Due to Enemy Actions in WWII.". Battle of the Atlantic. Retrieved 21 December 2014. line feed character in |title= at position 36 (help)
5. "Watson's Really Big WWII Almanac". Google Books. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
6. "Geraldine Mary". uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.

External links

• Canmore - Mazeppa: Mealasta, Lewis, Atlantic site record