Building Condition

Lews Castle has been vacant since the mid 1990's and is in need of substantial repairs.  While most of the stonework (gneiss and sandstone) is in very good,  some elements including the 2-storey front bay window and the port cochere will probably require re-building.

The front section of the Castle is generally weather-tight and the main public rooms on the ground and first floors are generally dry.  The best of the decorative plasterwork is still intact or recoverable.  However, water penetration through defective roofs and parapet gutters has caused extensive decay in other areas and much of the 2-storey rear mezzanine is in a dilapidated condition. 

Some serious structural defects were discovered in 1988 and the Castle, then used as a school, was vacated.  Major repairs in the early 1990's allowed partial re-occupation of the building.  Although vacant, the central heating is kept on and there is an ongoing minor repairs programme.

Invasive survey work was carried out in 1996/97 to examine the structure and investigate timber rot.  This revealed some walls and a window from the original Seaforth Lodge within the rear quarters of the Castle.

Estimates of basic repair costs, based on updating work from 1997, have ranged from £3m-£4m.  A more accurate estimate of the likely repair costs will be obtained from surveys of the building being undertaken as part of the present feasibility study (September 2004).