Isle of Lewis Chess Sets

Isle Of Lewis Chess Sets and Pieces

We stock the largest and best range of Lewis chess set products within the chess retail industry. We have sourced the very best British made Lewis chessmen and combined these with a selection of hand picked boards to bring you a varied choice of excellent products. We stock the sets from the National Museum Scotland, Berkeley Chess and The British Museum.

Lewis chessmen

The story of the Lewis Chessmen is a fascinating one. It is thought that they were created in Norway some time during the 12th century. The set then disappeared and was discovered hundreds of years later in Scotland on the Isle of Lewis when a sand bank collapsed. Someone was there to notice that it had collapsed and saw a large chest that had been previously buried. Inside they found almost a hundred beautifully carved little figures which later became The Lewis Chessmen. Since then they have become a major source of amusement and fascination and the chess set has become something of a classic. It’s worth noting that the original figures probably weren’t intended to be chess pieces, but various characters from the set have been assembled into a chess set and it’s become the second most popular set after Staunton as a result.

Lewis chess pieces with board

We sell the very best Lewis chess set on the market which is the official set from the National Museum in Scotland. The reason this set is so good is because it’s been created by the museum themselves, from laser scans of the original pieces. It’s lovingly crafted in the UK just a few miles from us and it’s superb quality. There simply is no better set of Lewis chessmen out there. It comes presented in superb gifted packaging too. We have this set available on it’s own but also as part of a set combined with various chess boards. From basic Mahogany boards through to walnut and the top of the range Italian Bria wood.

The Isle Of Lewis Story

There is an incredible back story to these chessmen. They have been studied in great detail by historians at The British Museum and also the National Museum Scotland. The original pieces are currently split between these two museums. Some argue that they should remain in Scotland, the place where they were discovered. Others argue that they should be in London, where a greater number of people can enjoy seeing them. Then there is the Norwegian argument, whereby people believe they should be returned to the land where they originated from in the very beginning. The great thing is that we can all enjoy these fantastic figures, either as individual pieces are a complete chess set.

The very best Lewis Chess Set

There is little doubt about which Lewis Chess Set is the very best one. It's exclusive to The Regency Chess Company and it can be found here. It is the wonderful Italian Briawood Lewis set which is a combination of the official Muesum pieces and a twenty four inch chess board from Italy. The board itself is a masterpiece, lacquered to a high gloss with superb hand inlays. It's a perfect example of fine Italian veneer work, very weighty and superb quality. It's the perfect partner for the Lewis chessmen and it's become a sure favourite among our customers for years.