View from WSW Digital image of B 76521 CN

Description View from WSW Digital image of B 76521 CN

Date 21/8/1992

Catalogue Number SC 794088

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 76521 CN

Scope and Content Lews Castle, Stornoway, Lewis, Western Isles, from west-south-west Lews Castle was built for Sir James Matheson (1796-1878), who bought Lewis in 1844 for £190,000. It was begun in 1848, but the work was not completed until 1860. Designed by Charles Wilson (1810-63) it cost £70,000. It was built of local stone, but had imported white stone dressings. To the right is the main block which is three-storeyed, with battlements supported on corbels. To create the site for the castle and its grounds, Matheson took away the ground which people in Stornoway had previously used for over-wintering their cattle. Matheson enclosed the area between Lochs Road, the harbour and the River Creed, and had many trees planted there. 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/794088

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap