Stornoway, Scotland--Lews Castle

 Our friends from Aberdeen had warned us that Scotland could be a wee bit soggy at times. When we arrived in Stornoway, it appeared that could be the case. This time we were taking no chances. Our experience in Edinburgh had taught us to be prepared. Rain jackets stuffed in a sling bag, we boarded the shuttle into town. 

The deep water port was out a ways or so it seemed as the bus had to circumnavigate a lot of construction but before long, we were deposited at the bus stop next to the river in Stornoway. A rather serious wooden fellow greeted us as we set off to the Lews Castle. 

The trail along the river was flat but once we crossed the footbridge, we were greeted by steps. I could hear my knees groan after all the steps we'd managed at Dunnator. It wasn't bad though. There were not nearly as many and once we reached the top, it was a gradual trail leading up through the woods. 

With the dreary skies and the mist in the air, the woods felt like we were traveling to Oz but without the yellow brick road.

Construction of the castle was begun in 1847. It has had quite a history of owners and purposes for the Victorian structure. At present it is more of a venue for meetings, weddings and other get togethers. 

I was glad that we would actually be able to go inside as the mist had turned more to a misty rain. There was no need for moisturizer this day. 

The only area open to the public is the first floor and it was quite impressive, especially the ball room. They were already setting up for some occasion so we probably timed our arrival perfectly.

 There are several rooms and suites on the upper floors that can be booked but we weren't allowed up to see them.

A cafe and museum allowed us to continue enjoying our visit indoors. The museum was nicely done with very interesting displays of the people and their skills and occupations in the area. The most interesting item I found was a painted whale ear. I had no idea that whales had ears. The whalers, back in the day, used to carve scrimsaw on the bones and paint faces on the whale ears. Interesting artwork.

painted whale ear

With the windy, misty rain (I think it was clouds we were moving through) we made our way back to the bus and the ship. The island is noted for its handmade tweed fabric and I would have been tempted to buy something except for the fact that wool has never been my friend. I guess it's a good thing I don't live here.

More Standing Stones - Stornoway, Scotland

The first thing that comes up on many of the sites featuring Stornoway is another ring of standing stones. This one is called the Calanais Standing Stones. They are said to be older than the Pyramids of Gaza.

Stornoway is located in the Outer Hebrides which is another group of islands. I guess I didn't realize that Scotland had so many island groups. The Lewis and Harris Island is the most inhabited but there are more than 50 islands in the chain that are uninhabited.

One of the most popular attractions is Lews Castle which overlooks the harbor. The beginnings of the castle date back to the 1600s. When Sir James Matheson bought the property in 1844, he commissioned a famous architect, Charles Wilson, to build the castle. The castle and grounds stayed in the family until 1917 when they were forced to sell it. In 1923, Lord Leverhulme gifted the property to the community to be used civic purposes. During the war years, the castle became a naval hospital. In 1953, the Castle became a college and continued until 1988 when it reverted to the community once again.

I found some references to wildlife and bird life in the area but I couldn't nail down how we would go about seeing it, at least not on our own. Here is where we might have to rely on the cruise ship's excursions for the area.or just explore on foot the town which according to one website has charming shops and cafes. This port might take a lot more investigating online.