Work is set to start next month on a £5m project to restore and regenerate historic grounds in the Outer Hebrides created by an opium baron.
The Lews Castle Grounds in Stornoway cover an area of over 600 acres and were originally laid out in the second half of the 19th Century by Sir James Matheson - who built Lews Castle on a prominent but largely treeless site overlooking Stornoway Harbour.
He and William Jardine went on to co-found the Hong Kong-based trading conglomerate Jardine Matheson & Co. that became today's Jardine Matheson Holdings.
Matheson bought the Isle of Lewis in 1844 for over half a million pounds and cleared more than 500 families off the land, shipping them to Canada. He went on to become the Governor of the Bank of England and the second largest landowner in Britain.
But in 1845, he began a programme of improvements on the island, including drainage schemes and road construction.
Now a partnership involving the Stornoway Trust, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), the National Lottery and Historic Environment Scotland, will oversee investment of over £5 million in the much-loved Lews Castle Grounds over the next few years.
Building and civil works contracts with a total value of over £3.6 million have been awarded to two island based contractors by the council in partnership the Stornoway Trust.
Neil Mackay & Co will undertake comprehensive repairs to the Porters Lodge, the Category A-listed Boatman's House and the adjacent seawall. Other important features, including the castle's bastion wall, steps and terrace path will also be repaired and restored to their original form.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon officially opens Lews Castle Museum
Breedon Hebrides will undertake a range of civil works, including drainage works in the former private gardens and the Castle Green, extensive renovation of paths in the core area of the grounds and environmental improvements in key areas. The popular Woodlands' Centre will benefit a new outdoor terrace and children's play area.
The works are scheduled for completion by summer 2020.
An extensive programme of landscape planting and restoration will be undertaken by the Stornoway Trust under the direction of a head gardener - a new National Lottery funded post to be appointed as a key part of the project.
Norman A Maciver Chairman of the Stornoway Trust and the joint Project Board with the Comhairle said:'It is great news that after so many years we are finally over the line and are now in a position to commence the project to enhance the environs around the castle. I would like to congratulate all the officers who have managed to get this project off the ground.'
Couyncil leader Roddie Mackay, said:"The Castle Grounds are a hugely important asset for our community and this project will deliver significant and much needed improvements that will complement the restored Lews Castle."
Acting Head of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Scotland, Riona McMorrow, added:"Our parks, and the historic features in them, are a wonderful legacy from our ancestors. They are enjoyed by all ages and are a community's green space in which to relax away from the pressures of daily life. We're delighted that, thanks to funds raised through the National Lottery, work is starting to revitalise the only historic park in the Outer Hebrides for all to enjoy."
READ MORE: Travel: Luxury accommodation at Lews Castle on Isle of Lewis
The grounds surround Lews Castle, which following a £19.5 million restoration project is now a major hospitality, accommodation and museum attraction.
The Castle Green is the picturesque setting for the Hebridean Celtic Festival which attracts thousands of visitors to Stornoway and the islands each summer. Works in the vicinity of the site will be suspended during the 2019 event from July 17-20.
Matheson died in 1878 at the age of 82 in Menton, France, upon which his wife erected a memorial to him in the grounds.
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