There were so many places to explore and enjoy on our tour of the Hebrides. Reflecting on all the stories which were told as we journeyed through the islands, there are some highlights well worth sharing here.
Memorial to the sailors of HMY Iolaire
The Iolaire
One of the most powerful and poignant tales was of the tragic sinking of the HMY Iolaire. Families across Lewis and Harris gathered in the early hours of New Years Eve, 1919, to welcome home their sons, brothers and young fathers. Little did they know that painfully close to the shoreline the ship was sinking. On the rocks, within site of Stornoway, the ship broke up and 174 men from Lewis were lost, 5 from Harris, 2 from Berneray, 2 from the Iolaire base and 18 crew.
The emotional roller coaster from community wide excitment and anticipation of the long awaited home coming, to the utter grief and despair at the unimagable loss of life cannot be understated. The stunning sculpture, now proudly over looking the site of the shipwreck, was created in 2019, the 100 year anniversary of the terrible disaster.
The Lewis Chessmen
The Lewis Chessmen are believed to be 12th century and were buried on the beach by the Vikings who lived on these islands for around 450 years. They were discovered by a local landowner in 1830, and now 11 are cared for by the National Museum of Scotland https://www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-scotland while 82 are on display in London at the British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/queens-gambit-how-lewis-chessmen-won-world-over
A few special pieces eventually came home to Lewis and are on public display at Lews Castle for all to admire. https://www.lews-castle.co.uk/museum/
Very few Scots take the time to travel to the Outer Hebrides but we love sharing this special place with people from all over the world.
