lews Castle
Isle of Lewis

Located in Stornoway, the capital of the Western Isles, this light brown, mock-Tudor folly was built in the 19th century by Sir James Matheson who purchased the island of Lewis in 1844 with part of the fortune he accumulated from the opium trade in the Far East.  The surrounding trees and greenery were planted in thousands of tons of soil that he had shipped over from the mainland. It has recently been reported in the Stornoway Gazette that there are plans to remove some of these older trees and plant new ones.  In 1923, only five years after buying Lewis, Lord Leverhulme gifted the building back to the people of Stornoway. Today, visitors are not allowed inside since it is used as a technical college, but during the summer months, demonstrations are given in shearing, weaving and sheepdog handling.  From the labyrinthine grounds, which are open to the public all year round, the view stretches across the harbour to the main part of town and the start of the Eye Peninsula.

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