lews castle was built by sir james matheson in 1863 after resettling the crofters who used to live here. as the former laird's house, it has long been seen as a symbol of old oppression: it was here, in the house's now-defunct conservatory, that lady matheson famously gave tea to the bernera protesters, when they marched on stornoway prior to rioting. when the eccentric lord leverhulme took up residence, he had unglazed bedroom windows which allowed the wind and rain to enter, and so there were gutters added in the asphalt floor to carry off the water.
