Historic castle to be restored with £5m grant

A historic Scots castle will be brought back to its former glory following a £5m investment.

Lews Castle on the edge of Stornoway has been on the buildings at risk register since 2000 and its development has been stalled because of a lack of funding.

The money from the Heritage Lottery Fund brings the project a step closer to being realised.

The historic castle will be transformed into a museum, an archive for the Outer Hebrides as well as providing hotel accommodation for tourists.

The museum will be the first in the UK to use Gaelic as the first language and will display collections of the Museum nan Eilean and also the British Museum.

Collections held by the National Archives of Scotland will be returned to the island with the creations of Stornoway's first ever civic archive.

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: "Breathing new life into this grand castle will breathe new life into Stornoway itself.

"The transformation of Lews Castle has the potential to make a real difference to the economy of Lewis and indeed the Western Isles through job creation and tourism.

"It will provide a safe and accessible home for the collections and artefacts that make these wonderful islands what they are today while providing support to the network of heritage societies and local museums that exist across the Outer Hebrides."

The Western Isles Council has also invested £4.5m into the Lews Castle project. They are now looking for extra funding to help the long-awaited project begin as quickly as possible.

Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said: "Today’s announcement from the Heritage Lottery Fund is an important step towards revitalising, not only Lews Castle, but the wider tourist economy in the islands.

"The Comhairle and other agencies locally have been working tirelessly to progress plans that would ensure Lews Castle becomes both a cultural and economic asset to the islands."

Lews Castle was built in 1847 for James Matheson, who made his fortune in the Chinese opium trade.

It was donated to the people of Stornoway by William Lever, Lord Leverhulme, in 1923. During the Second World War the castle served as a naval hospital and accommodation for air and ground crew. After the war it became a technical college and school for more than 30 years.

IN DETAIL