A £8,000 grant has been awarded for a project to commemorate the Iolaire disaster in the run up to its centenary in 2019.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded the money to the Stornoway Amenity Trust which plans to produce a film, artwork for the memorial, and a ceremony for the opening of a permanent memorial in Carn Gardens in Stornoway town centre.
The project will work in close partnership with the Nicolson Institute, Stornoway Historical Society, and other local history organisations.
The groups involved said it is of “tremendous importance” to commemorate such a poignant event in the history of Lewis and Harris where the lives of many local men were lost and communities grievously affected.
Tony Robson of the Stornoway Amenity Trust said the organisation is “delighted to
be working closely with pupils from The Nicolson Institute and to offer the opportunity
for pupils to learn more about the Iolaire disaster and contribute significantly
to the commemoration of an event that is rooted in their local history and, in some
cases, their ancestry."
The year-
Lucy Casot, of HLF Scotland, said "The impact of the First World War was far reaching,
touching every corner of the UK.
“With our small grants programme, we are enabling even more communities like those
involved in The Iolaire Memorial Project/ Proiseact Carragh-
Community project to commemorate Iolaire disaster
9 March 2017
Nicolson pupils visit the Iolaire site