HMY Iolaire Plaque

A small plaque on the Kyle of Lochalsh waterfront marks the spot where the HMY Iolaire went down on New Year's Day 1919. It's easy to miss - just a simple stone marker facing the water - but it commemorates one of Scotland's worst maritime disasters.

The Iolaire was a naval vessel packed with 283 servicemen returning home from the First World War. She sank in the Sound of Raasay after hitting rocks just yards from shore, and 205 men drowned. The tragedy devastated Lewis and the wider Highlands, as most of the crew were local lads heading home to their families. The plaque is a quiet, moving reminder of that catastrophe.

It's not a destination in itself - you'll spend five minutes reading the inscription, then move on - but if you're staying at Reraig Caravan & Camping nearby on Skye, it's worth the short drive across to Kyle of Lochalsh. The waterfront there is pleasant enough for a proper walk, and the plaque gives real context to the landscape. History types and anyone interested in Scottish maritime heritage will find it sobering. The exposure and remoteness of the location actually drives home how hopeless that cold January morning must have been.

Free to visit, obviously. Go when the weather's decent so you can linger and take in the view across to Raasay.