Monument record 7523 - Stornoway

'An interesting feature, some of which is still extant, is the high stone wall to the west of Matheson Road. This is said to have been erected by the Mathesons. Their drive from disembarkment at the harbour, encircling the town by Matheson Road, to the lodge of there newly built sately home, Lews Castle, was now afforded a measure of privacy.'(E.Dennison and R.Coleman,1997,35)

'Matheson Road was named after Sir James Matheson, who purchased the island in 1844 from the Seaforth Trustees. He built Lews Castle figure 13-14, work beginning in 1847, after first clearing tenants from the grounds of Seaforth Lodge and enclosing what had become common grazing figure 8. Unpopular with the local inhabitants, he also constructed a high stone wall along the west side of Matheson Road, so that he could not be seen entering and leaving his estate (see pp 34-6).'(E.Dennison and R.Coleman,1997,70)

E. Patricia Dennison & Russel Coleman, 1997, Historic Stornoway: the archaeological implications of development (Bibliographic reference). SWE41004.