Vandals have targeted a war memorial in Lewis just days before Remembrance Sunday.
The lights surrounding the memorial have been broken, leaving Western Isles Council now considering options for repairs.
The damage has been discovered just days before the traditional Remembrance Sunday events, which have been adapted this year due to coronavirus restrictions.
Police have been informed.
Council convener Norman A. Macdonald said: “This is dispiriting for all those who remember loved ones who gave so much for all of us.
“Given the amount of engagement with communities throughout the islands at the time of the 100-year commemoration of the Iolaire disaster, this is extremely disappointing and displays a callous lack of respect to the memory of those who served their country.
“The matter has been reported to the police and we will now take steps to ensure that appropriate repairs are made.”
The names of the men who perished in the Iolaire disaster are etched on the memorial.
The ill-fated vessel, which sank on New Year’s Day in 1919, claimed the lives of more than 200 servicemen as they set sail from Kyle of Lochalsh to return home after the conclusion of the First World War.
The ship was within sight of Lewis, about two miles from Stornoway, when tragedy struck, even as friends and family gathered to welcome the sailors home.
In total, 201 servicemen died, with only 82 surviving.
Around one-third of those who lost their lives were never recovered.
The final resting place of the vessel was given official war grave status last year as the Ministry of Defence signalled its intention to protect the wreckage under a special parliamentary act.
The delegation of the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 means no unauthorised access of the wreck can be undertaken and the men whose bodies rest there will forever be accorded a respectful burial.
Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan said: “It’s especially disappointing to see this act of vandalism so close to Remembrance Day.
“The islands suffered a higher proportion of losses in World War I than most other areas of the UK. Our war memorials are a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“As we remember them this weekend, I hope that the perpetrators pay attention to the sense of pride, the sorrow, and the solemnness of the occasion.
“I hope too that they will look back one day and feel a deep sense of shame for their actions.”
A police spokeswoman said: “Around 2:10pm on Friday November 6, 2020, police received a report of a vandalism.
“The lights have been damaged and inquiries are ongoing.”