Creators of a poignant shoreline monument to the Iolaire disaster have lodged a plea to extend its lifespan until Easter.
The Iolaire Sailed was installed on the town’s South Beach by Stornoway Port Authority ahead of the centenary commemorations on New Year’s Day to mark the 201 souls who lost their lives.
The replica of the lost ship’s hull was created from 280 posts with 79 of the markers painted white to highlight the number of survivors while the rest remained plain to show the scale of loss suffered.
Thousands of people have so far visited the 189 foot monument.
Despite the sculpture, designed by Torcuil Crichton and Malcolm Maclean, originally being envisaged as a temporary installation, the port authority have now applied for planning consent from the Western Isles Council to keep the structure in place until Easter.
Murdo Murray, chairman of the Stornoway Port Authority, said: “Sheòl an Iolaire is a poignant and sensitive commemoration of a tragedy that affects so many people.
“Both residents and visitors have been attracted to it and been moved by it, and we are very keen for it to feature on the South Beach for a little longer.”
Malcolm Maclean added: “The installation was not designed as a permanent structure but has stood up to the tides and weather to a much higher degree than expected.
“There has been a tremendous public response to Sheòl an Iolaire and people have pressed for it to become a permanent memorial.
“It is worth keeping so long as its dignity is intact. A final deadline for removal is to be set but the deciding factor will be the extent to which the sea works on the installation.”
