Lews Castle is a turreted Victorian mansion above Stornoway harbour, built in the 1840s and now restored as Museum nan Eilean. The museum tells the story of the Western Isles from prehistoric settlement to crofting, fishing, war, emigration, and modern Gaelic culture.
The Lewis Chessmen are part of the draw. The original medieval pieces are split between London and Edinburgh, but the Stornoway museum explains their island context better than either. The castle grounds are free to walk, with paths through mature woodland and views back over the harbour.