Interactive app reveals untold stories of Iolaire

HISTORY: Technology provides virtual document of tragedy at sea on centenary

Scottish researchers have created an interactive visualisation revealing the untold stories of those who died in the sinking of HMY Iolaire in the Minch 100 years ago.

The ship was returning sailors to the Western Isles after the First World War ended when it foundered on rocks and sank, early on New Year’s Day 1919.

Of 283 men aboard 205 died, 181 of whom were from the islands, devastating the communities in Lewis and Harris.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy researchers from Abertay University in Dundee and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) have developed an online application, Visualising the Iolaire, which provides a virtual map of the disaster.

It details those who died, identifies the communities directly and indirectly affected, while documenting how people have been commemorated on the island.

The development of the app has been led by Dr Iain Donald from the School of Design and Informatics at Abertay.

He said yesterday: “The original aim of the project was to look at how the impact of a single event can transform a community.

“The story of the Iolaire is especially poignant as it occurred after the war was over and was bringing sailors home to be with friends and family for New Year in 1919.

“Working with Dr Iain Robertson at UHI and the community partners on this project has demonstrated what a heavy price the Western Isles paid during the war, and the Iolaire tragedy was sorrow heaped upon sorrow.”

The project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Anne Frater with a picture of great-grandfather John Macleod, killed on the Iolaire, at the Stornoway memorial.