Lews Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lews Castle is a Victorian era castle located west of the town of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. It was built in the years 1847-57 as a country house for Sir James Matheson who had bought the whole island a few years previously with his fortune from the Chinese Opium trade.
In 1918, the Lewis estate including the castle was bought by industrialist Lord Leverhulme from the Matheson family. He gifted the castle to the people of Stornoway parish in 1923.
During World War II the Castle was taken over as accommodation for air and ground crew of 700 Naval Air Squadron, who operated a detachment of six Supermarine Walrus aircraft from a slipway at Cuddy Point in the Grounds. The base was referred to as HMS Mentor. It was also used for accommodation for students of Lews Castle College in the 1950s.
Today the building is owned by the local council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and is category A listed building.
[edit] External links
- Lews Castle Trust
- Overview of Lews Castle from The Gazetteer for Scotland
- History from Stornoway Historical Society
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