Detail of ground-floor bay window Digital image of RC 243

Description Detail of ground-floor bay window Digital image of RC 243

Date 9/1964

Collection Records of the Scottish National Buildings Record, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 793815

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of RC 243

Scope and Content Bay window, Lews Castle, Stornoway, Lewis, Western Isles This is a detail of a bay window on the ground floor in Lews Castle, the 'grandest of the very few mansions in the Western Isles'. It is a window of one of the main public rooms in the house. The top of the window is decorated with a carving of quatrefoils and unmarked shields. Beneath the carving there are six arched fixed lights. The rectangular lights contain sash and case windows. Lews Castle was designed for Sir James Matheson (1796-1878) by the architect Charles Wilson (1810-63). Matheson bought Lewis in 1844 and the castle was begun in 1848. Matheson carried out various improvements in Stornoway during his first years there. A jail, a 'ragged school' and new houses were built. The harbour was improved, and gas and water works companies were also created. Lewis and Harris are both parts of the same island, collectively known as 'the Long Island', which is the most northerly in the Outer Hebrides. Together they are about 95km in length and around 32km at the widest point. Most of Lewis is quite low-lying, whereas Harris is mountainous. Stornoway is situated on the east coast of Lewis and is the only major town in the Western Isles. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/793815

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap