Remarkably, the Hebridean Isles of Harris and Lewis have a long history of being owned by a single proprietor. From 1610 until 1844 the Mackenzies of Seaforth owned the entire Island of Lewis. Following the death of the last Earl of Seaforth, James Matheson, co-founder of the Jardine Matheson company, purchased Lewis for £190,000 in 1844. He was an entrepreneurial Scot who earned his money from trading with China and in opium in particular. He commissioned the building of Stornoway Castle which was commenced in 1847.
So the story goes, when Matheson became engaged to get married to Mary, he wanted to present her with a wedding gift of a Lodge and Estate on Lewis. He wanted this Lodge to be set in the finest possible position, commanding the very best views. After much searching, he selected Morsgail to build the wedding gift for his wife. There is a spot on the Lower Morsgail river, just below the Loch, where a large flat stone spanning two rocks provides shelter from the rain. This is still known as Lady Mary’s seat.
The Lodge was built and remained in Matheson’s hands until 1918 when all his lands on Lewis were sold to William Hesketh Lever (Lord Leverhulme). He was the founder of the Lever Bros/Unilever conglomerate and determined Victorian entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The old boathouse
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The Lodge changed hands several times during the 20th century and remained popular with sportsmen who travelled from afar to enjoy the fishing and stalking
However, it slowly fell into disrepair as successive owners failed to maintain the fabric of the building. In the early 1980’s the property was again sold, with the Lodge now needing considerable renovation and repair.
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Sadly, because of the costs of renovation, the old Lodge was demolished, but a fine new house was built in its place, commanding the exact same view which captured the heart of Lord Matheson nearly 150 years earlier. |
