Iolaire tragedy part of commemorations events 22/7/14
Over the next five years the Scottish Commemorations Programme which will remember eight particular events from World War One which had a significant impact on Scotland.
It includes the loss of 205 men when the Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire sank in Stornoway.
The sinking was the worst peacetime maritime disaster in British waters.
The ship crashed on rocks in a gale at the approaches to Stornoway harbour in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919.
Servicemen, some who survived torpedoed ships of World War One perished on the Beasts of Holm, just yards from safety.
Only 79 men made it ashore alive in the horrific accident which occurred immediately after the First World War.
Because of the enormity 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.
The Iolaire remembrance event takes place on 1 January 2019 -
Other major events include commemorating the start and end of the war, major battles including Gallipoli, Loos, Jutland and Arras and domestic incidents such as the Quintinshill rail disaster.
► Key dates for WW1 commemorations