Designs have been revealed for a memorial sculpture to mark the upcoming centenary of a major shipping disaster off the Western Isles.
More than 200 men died when the admiralty yacht, Iolaire, hit rocks just a mile from Stornoway harbour and sank on New Year’s Day, 1919.
They were on their way home after fighting in World War I, and many of their families were waiting at the harbour to welcome them back when they were told about the tragedy.
A total of 205 men drowned in one of the worst non-maritime shipping disasters in the country and 181 of them were from Lewis and Harris.
The different designs for the bronze sculpture will be displayed from tonight at An Lanntair, the multi-disciplinary arts centre in Stornoway, and islanders can decide which one they would like to see installed, either alongside the present memorial, or in a different location.
Elly Fletcher, An Lanntair’s chief executive, said: “At present, there is quite a simple memorial to the men who died after the Iolaire sank. Because the centenary of the disaster is coming up, we thought a new sculpture would be appropriate.
“We asked three internationally recognised artists to submit their designs which we are putting on display in the centre.
“We want the sculpture to really stand out so that people arriving on the island can see it whether they are travelling by plane or boat.”
The artists, Marian Leven, Arthur Watson and Will Maclean, submitted 10 different designs for the memorial and they have been displayed to give local people a good idea of how the finished sculpture will look when it is put in place either on land or in the sea.
Ms Fletcher said: “There is a real variety of designs as some are meant to go in the sea, either on or near to the site where the Iolaire was wrecked, while others have been created to fit in around the site of the present memorial.
“We want people who come along to read about the different designs and then make a note of the one they prefer. People who don’t live here but who have relatives who died in the disaster can also take part as there is an online survey too.
“This really is a landmark project and when a decision has been made about the final design we will invite people to contribute through subscriptions and crowdfunding so that as many as possible can be a part of it.”
The designs for the centenary memorial sculpture can be seen at An Lanntair tonight at 7.30pm.