Scotland's most famous island salmon fishery — a short, fast spate river draining a chain of lochs on the west side of Lewis. The Grimersta is extraordinary: in a good spate it can produce salmon catches that rival any river in Scotland, despite being barely a mile long. The system's magic lies in its chain of lochs which act as holding pools, and the short river which fish run through in hours rather than days after rain. Sea trout also run the system in good numbers. The fishing is managed as a premium let and commands high prices, but when it fires after a summer spate, there is nothing else quite like it in Scottish salmon fishing. Peat-stained moorland water defines this river. Atlantic salmon stocks are Category 3 (declining) — all salmon must be released.

• Loch
• Peat