Lews Castle looks down over Stornoway harbour, a Victorian baronial pile built from 1847 for Sir James Matheson, who had bought the whole of Lewis a few years before. Inside is Museum nan Eilean, which tells the islands’ story and displays six of the original Lewis Chessmen, on long-term loan from the British Museum; entry is free. Around the castle are wooded grounds, a rare stretch of mature woodland on largely treeless Lewis, planted when the castle went up and laced with paths that are open all year and free to wander. It’s an easy walk up from the harbour.
Full name: Lews Castle Grounds
