Loch Stiapabhat is a large, nutrient-rich loch in Ness owing to the underlying calcareous sand and surface drainage from the surrounding crofts. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and in 2005, it was declared a Local Nature Reserve - the only one in the Western Isles. The Reserve is home to a Nature Observatory which makes the Reserve’s extraordinary wildlife much more accessible, both to the local community and to visitors to this part of Lewis.