Lews Castle College ( gd, Colaisde a' Chaisteil , meaning literally "College of the Castle") is a further and higher education college in the

Western Isles The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. The main campus is in the grounds of

Lews Castle Lews Castle (Scottish Gaelic: ''Caisteal Leòdhais'') is a Victorian era castle located west of the town of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland. It was built in the years 1844–51 as a country house for Sir James Matheson who had bought the wh ...

Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...

. The College also has two learning centres in

Benbecula Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...

and

Barra Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is na ...

. The college is part of the

University of the Highlands and Islands , type = federal, public , image_name = UHI Coat of Arms.jpg , image_size = 150px , established = 2011 – University status 1992 – UHI Millennium Institute , chancellor = The Princess Royal , vice_chancellor = , budget = £139m (2022 ...

. The college opened in September 1953; its first principal was Colonel John Macsween. It was originally run by the local authority. It had 83 students and 9 full-time faculty members. In 1993, the College became an independent entity under the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992.

was originally used as accommodation for the students, but it is currently needing renovation. In December 2012, the college had 2,700 students enrolled in 150 full-time, part-time and online courses, representing nine different nationalities, and employed 130 staff. The college has a subsidiary company, Lews Castle College (Trading) Limited, which provides Gaelic translation services.

Merchant navy training

Lews Castle College conducts several courses for the seagoing merchant navy personnel both long and short term:Merchant Navy Programmes
/ref> * Access to Merchant Navy (1 year full-time) * Efficient Deck Hand, GMDSS & STCW Courses (short courses)

Notable alumni

* Anne Lundon, broadcaster

References

External links

* {{Authority control University of the Highlands and Islands Buildings and structures in the Isle of Lewis Further education colleges in Scotland Higher education colleges in Scotland Educational institutions established in 1953 1953 establishments in Scotland Stornoway Education in the Outer Hebrides