► Photos: Design proposals for new memorial sculpture to mark Iolaire disaster centenary
Designs for a new Iolaire memorial are being revealed today.
An Lanntair, with financial assistance from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, plans to commissioning a bronze sculpture to mark the maritime disaster which occurred at the approaches to Stornoway harbour.
Some 205 men perished when the Admiralty yacht sank in the approaches to Stornoway harbour.
The ship crashed on the Beasts of Holm in a gale in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919.
Naval men who survived torpedoed ships of World War One died just yards from home.
Only 79 men made it ashore alive in the horrific accident which occurred immediately after the First World War.
The sinking is the worst peacetime shipping tragedy in British waters.
Because of the deep impact of the disaster, many war memorials on Lewis mark the end of the war as 1919 and not the official date of November 1918.
Virtually every village on Lewis lost men in the tragedy. Seven belonged to Harris while 31 were crew members from different parts of the UK.
Three of the most senior and respected visual artists in Scotland have prepared a range of designs for a bronze sculpture to be sited at Holm where the vessel was wrecked.
The designs will be exhibited in the foyer area of An Lanntair as part of a consultation with the community.
On Monday evening, a presentation will give people the opportunity to hear about the philosophy and intention behind the proposed designs, to comment on them and to question the artists.
If the proposals meet with the approval of the community, An Lanntair will develop a funding strategy, which will invite people to contribute through crowd funding and subscriptions to the development of the sculpture, offering everyone from the community the opportunity to be a part of this landmark project.
► Photos: Design proposals for new memorial sculpture to mark Iolaire disaster centenary
New memorial to commemorate Iolaire disaster
17 April 2017
