By the late 18th century Lord Seaforth had a property, Seaforth Lodge, remnants of which are incorporated into the kitchen quarters of Lews Castle. This stood on 'a lawn wh'ch rises from the head of the bay, and being perfectly white, has a good effect' (Knox, 1786). It was laid out with a short approach from the east, with woodland in the valley of the Ault na Broage and commanded spectacular views over the bay. Seaforth Lodge is shown on a watercolour painting by Thomas Daniel (1819) and John Wood's Plan of the Town and Harbour of Stornaway (1821).
In 1844 James Sutherland Matheson (1796-1878), co-founder of Jardine, Matheson & Co., bought the island of Lewis for £190,000 from Mrs Stewart-Mackenzie of Seaforth. In 1847 he demolished Seaforth Lodge and started the construction of Lews Castle, to Charles Wilson's design, eventually costing some £60,000. He embarked on extensive landscape development and improvements, spending £49,000 up to 1850. This provided for local labour at a critical period caused by the potato famine. Matheson was also associated with clearances, reorganised farmland and developed Stornoway harbour.
Two public roads leading westwards from Stornoway were enclosed within the policies and a new public road (A859) was built around their northern and western perimeter. The area thus enclosed became the North Park which by 1850, was surrounded by and planted with, trees. The line of the southernmost public road was retained as a drive leading from Creed Bridge. Carriage drives were laid out, leading around and across the estate. To the south-west of the Castle, an informal pleasure ground was planted with trees and shrubs. A small kitchen garden, possibly originally associated with Seaforth House, was situated to the south-east of the Castle. This resulting scheme offered a dramatic contrast between the well-wooded policies of Lews and the surrounding, treeless countryside, and enclosed a significant area as private parkland and policies.
Following Matheson's death, his successors James and Donald Matheson developed the landscape further: a series of ornamental ponds, in the pleasure grounds west of the Castle, were replaced by an extensive range of glasshouses; a formal terrace was built along the south-east front of the Castle; a new kitchen garden was built in a sheltered position to the north-west of the Castle; the North Park was planted with clumps and other areas of parkland were modified with woodland areas reducing and subdividing the extensive, interconnected parkland areas. To the north, at Bayhead, a new lodge and entrance gate was constructed and Creed Lodge was built at the western entrance. Further carriage drives and walks were laid out at Cuddy Point, around the Matheson Monument, at Gallows Hill and the mouth of the Greeta River (1895, OS 25"). By 1882, the landscape was described as 'so beautiful and well laid out that both gardens and grounds compare favourably with any in Scotland. They contain extensive hothouses, 10 miles of Carriage drives, 5 miles of foot walks and a fine monument erected in memory of Sir James' (Groome, 1882).
In 1917 the estate was sold to William Hesketh Lever, 1st Lord Leverhulme (d.1925), the entrepreneur and philanthropist who commissioned the landscape architect, Thomas Mawson (1861-1933), to prepare a major redevelopment plan for Stornoway. This was only partially implemented, the major work being a shore road to the mouth of the Greeta River, which involved significant engineering works to the former tracks and along the riverside. He also refurbished the Castle. In 1923, Leverhulme gifted Lews Castle and policies to the town of Stornoway, stipulating that the park should be named Lady Lever Park, in memory of his wife. The year following he sold the island.
In 1953 the Castle became a college and new buildings were built within the walled garden. An access road to service the college now severs the line of the original main drive.
The majority of the north parkland is now the Stornoway Golf Course, while the Stornoway Trust manages the policies of Lews Castle.