£1.5 million repairs for Lews Castle 6/9/11
Around £1.5 million worth of essential repairs are required to patch up the landmark Lews Castle in Stornoway as a last ditch attempt to rescue the crumbling building continues.
A serious funding gap has hampered a major £13 million redevelopment plan to save the derelict historic property which sits on a spectacular spot overlooking Stornoway harbour.
It is hoped a rare second chance to apply for vital funding will be successful this time. The original bid for European cash was thrown out last year but Western Isles Council won an exceptional chance to reapply.
The authority announced today that tendering for urgently required temporary works to prevent the building deteriorating further will proceed while the outcome of the main grant application is still awaited. The aim is to allow the leaking castle to dry out before the start of the hoped for major renovations.
The main roofs, windows and stonework need patching up to make the castle wind and weather tight. Some of the modern concrete extensions, like a toilet block and workshop, added when it was used as a school and college will be knocked down. Asbestos material and damaged finishes in service spaces will be removed.
The tender is expected to be awarded this November while the repair work should be finished by next September. Historic Scotland has given £500,000 towards the works.
The decaying property is on the Buildings At Risk Register and it has taken about ten years to get to this advanced stage.
Ultimately the plan is to convert it into a plush hotel, to be leased to a private operator, and build a modern attached community heritage centre. The finished project would create jobs and weddings may be held in the castle’s ballroom.
The Stornoway museum would relocate from its Francis Street base into the modern extension at the rear of the castle. It would expand into a new Hebridean heritage hub with centralised archives making it possible for the first time to seek the return of the islands’ historic treasures, such as the famous Lewis Chessmen, and documents which are held across Britain.