Stornoway music school in limbo

“Lack of support”

By Gregg Adams

An historic old building in the heart of Stornoway that had been set for refurbishment into a music school has been abandoned due to the budget pressures being faced by Western Isles Council.

The future of the dilapidated 150 year old Lady Matheson’s Seminary building on Scotland Street looks bleak following the announcement that the Lewis and Harris Preservation Trust (LHPT) – who had been lobbying for the work – has been wound up.

A spokesman said that the organisation had “ceased to function” with immediate effect and blamed the decision on a lack of support from the council.

“Inappropriate to comment”

The former school was opened in 1849 by Lady Matheson – wife of the Lewis landlord Sir James Matheson – who made his fortune in the illegal Chinese opium trade.

In a statement the group claimed that the council had reneged on a ‘verbal agreement’ to underwrite the second stage of the project, as well as removing the project from the Townscape Heritage Initiative Programme (THI).

The LHPT had lodged a number of formal complaints with the council concerning the trust’s treatment.

A spokesman for Western Isles Council said it was following up on the complaints submitted by LHPT, but it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

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