115929: Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway)

Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway) is one of the two branches of Museum & Tasglan nan Eilean (the other being Museum nan Eilean (Uist & Barra)).

The first Stornoway branch of Museum nan Eilean opened in 1984 at Stornoway Town Hall.

In 1995, the Museum moved to Francis Street in Stornoway, into an 1898 building which had originally served as the Secondary Department of the Nicolson Institute. The move followed an extensive programme of works (from 1992 to 1995) to convert the building into a museum; during this period the Museum was closed to the public whilst temporarily housed in the Comhairle’s education department.

Museum nan Eilean (Stornoway) moved to a modern purpose-built extension of the restored Lews Castle in Stornoway. This new site opened on 14th July 2016 (its previous Francis Street home having been closed to the public from 2012 to 2016 during the development period).