In Pictures: Fresh glimpse of Caledonian Hotel transformation as works progress
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How the ground-floor space will look once refurbishment works are complete, with new dining and kitchen facilities
Since announcing in January that the Caledonian Hotel in Stornoway will reopen after more than a decade, following investment from SSEN Transmission, new images have been published offering a further glimpse of how the hotel will look, as refurbishment works continue to progress.
Thanks to SSEN Transmission’s Lewis Hub project, the landmark building overlooking the harbour is undergoing a major refurbishment to provide accommodation for personnel involved in the project’s construction from summer 2027.
The redevelopment was made possible through significant investment, returning the facility to active use for the first time since its closure in 2013.
Once construction of the Lewis Hub is complete, it’s planned that the hotel will reopen to the public, bringing long-term benefits to the local economy.
The ground floor is being designed with flexibility at its core, creating two large public spaces that can adapt to future demand, whether for dining, functions, events or other community and business uses. At the heart of this is a new, modern multi-functional kitchen, built to a high specification to help attract and retain top hospitality talent, while supporting local employment and training opportunities for years to come.
This focus on skills and careers is already generating interest locally. In May, catering students from UHI North, West and Hebrides visited the site to see the development first hand.
The view from the front of the hotel's new ground floor space, including new floor to ceiling windows
The new owners, the Macarthur family, have been developing and operating accommodation businesses locally over three generations.
Since the refurbishment work on the building commenced in the spring, after our funding was confirmed, progress includes:
- Internal strip-out well advanced – the building has been substantially cleared after more than a decade standing empty, laying the groundwork for the rebuilding and refurbishment phase to follow.
- Completion of revised floor plans, reconfiguring the building to increase the number of rooms and provide improved kitchen and dining facilities.
- Works in the coming months will include the replacement of all plumbing and electrics as the building is prepared for full refurbishment.
The ground floor space as it currently looks, with refurbishment works making progress
Callum Wardrop, SSEN Transmission’s project director for the Lewis Hub, said: “People are understandably curious about the work that’s underway and deeply interested in the future of this local landmark, and these new images show the progress being made and provide an insight into what the hotel will look like when finished.
“Bringing the Caledonian Hotel back into use after such a long absence is just one of the positive legacies of constructing the Lewis Hub – boosting energy security with homegrown clean power – and it’s great to see it taking shape.”
How the Caledonian Hotel will look from the outside, once refurbishment is complete
Other examples of how the Lewis Hub and Western Isles High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Link are delivering benefits for Lewis include support for early works to deliver nearly 100 new homes at Branahuie, funding for the Arnish Road upgrade, and backing for the expansion of Macaulay College.
The company has also awarded more than £875,000 to projects across the Western Isles through its Regional Community Benefit Fund, and is consulting local people on priorities for its new Lewis Hub Local Fund. This will provide over £1 million to communities closest to the project, supporting initiatives that drive long term social and economic growth.
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