14/06/22

Western Isles Steps have finally been reopened again.

With a new owner, there comes a refreshing new age for the Western Isles Hotel. James Wright, an originally local man, bought the Hotel in July 2022 and has immediately got straight in on making some changes. The first change, especially big for the locals, is the steps being reopened. The steps became sealed off to the public almost a decade ago, and have been kept private ever since. The reason we re-opened them now, is we wanted the Hotel to be attached to the local community again, and what better way than opening up a direct route to us from the main street.

After re-opening the stairs, we declared the momentous change on our social media accounts. From which, we got a large reaction from the local community. We also got many accounts of people using the stairs previously, even from back when people were using the steps as a kid back in the 1960s. One follower commented “I remember when I came to work in the Western Isles Hotel back in 1988 & I hauled my suitcase up all them stairs", another commented “I last climbed them in 1979 when I worked there”

It’s a real reminder of how much history this Hotel is seeped in. The building has been attached to many people’s lives whether through being a guest or being an employee. It’s an honour to be working for something that has so much history, and impact, to people’s lives.

Written by Alastair Bancroft, Receptionist