“The vision for this project is to create a world-class centre which tells the story of the Iolaire tragedy, including the context of the time and the consequences which flowed from it, and how it touched every area and family in the island.”
We will all be proud of the project and how we tell the story. We are proud of those who were lost and who survived. The project is ours, all of ours, as Hebridean islanders.
The Centre will act as a catalyst for the Stornoway Vision regeneration plan and the Stornoway Port Authority Master Plan for the harbour development and be a key economic driver for the wider rural island economy.
The building will aim to rank in the top 5 visitor experiences in Scotland and attract visitors from across the world. The centre will seek to better understand the tragedy, and look towards the future, demonstrating how the island is moving on, and up, economically and culturally.
“The Iolaire tragedy was of an unparalleled magnitude….the unimaginable grief that the island suffered has had a profound and lasting, though largely unspoken of, impact on every aspect of our Island life and culture, our psyche, our population and our economy….Until now the story has never really been fully told to the world.”
Connecting to the Stornoway Vision
The project builds on the momentum created with the Stornoway Vision study. To link the individual strategies of the study, the Stornoway Vision put forward the concept of the Waterfront Walk/Cycle Path, which physically connects from Arnish to the town centre to the Iolaire Monument.
The Iolaire Centre is perfectly positioned to both capitalise on this future Waterfront Walk, as well as work as a catalyst for continued work on achieving the Stornoway Vision.
Below is a diagram illustrating how the Waterfront Walk and viewing platforms would activate the water’s edge where there is currently car parking. The diagram below show the relationship of the proposed centre to the Waterfront Walk.
