Lews Castle, Stornoway, Lewis

Lews Castle in Stornoway, Lewis, is a castellated mansion house designed by architect Charles Wilson, who worked in Glasgow. It was built for Sir James Matheson, who acquired the island of Lewis in 1844. Construction began around 1848 and was completed in 1860, after Wilson's death. The design is reminiscent of other houses like Toward, created by David Hamilton, where Wilson had trained. The castle features a picturesque skyline with towers and turrets, the tallest reaching 102 feet. It has a deep advance and recess of wall planes, hood-moulded single, mullioned, and/or transomed windows, and crenellated wall heads. The building is mostly two to three storeys high, with low service ranges. It is constructed from local rubble, squared and pinned in some areas, with contrasting yellow ashlar dressings imported from elsewhere. The roofs are mostly low-pitched and slated, and the windows are sash.

The east-facing elevation looks towards the town and features a two-storey central section, with taller towers projecting asymmetrically on either side. The fenestration indicates that the main public rooms are located on the ground floor. The main entrance is set back on the right-hand (north) side, with a porch-cochere against a shallow-projecting four-storeyed tower. On the low range to the south, there are sculptured details, including grotesques, beneath the parapet. An enormous glass house, which served as a winter garden or fernery, was demolished in recent years. At the rear, there is an enclosed service court with a belfry, and a tall brick stack, possibly made of Garrabost brick, may have been related to the heating system of the glass house. The interior was not inspected during the 1989 resurvey.