An exhibition on the Iolaire tragedy is to be held in Sandwick Community Hall – the hall nearest to the site of the disaster – and will be formally opened today, Thursday December 6, at 6pm. The exhibition has been put together by Stornoway Historical Society (SHS) and will be on display throughout December, January and February, three days a week. Although it will shut for Christmas, it will be open on New Year’s Day, the 100th anniversary of the disaster.
The idea for the exhibition came from Sandwick Community Council, which began planning a commemoration programme for the Iolaire back in 2013.
It was strongly felt that material about the Iolaire should be exhibited in Sandwick Community Hall as this was the public venue closest to the disaster site, being less than one mile away from the Beasts of Holm, where the vessel hit the rocks with the loss of 201 lives.