Islay will be hosting one of the major commemorations in Scotland for World War 1 in May 2018 as part of the wider WW100 Scotland commemorations. Islay and Jura lost over 200 of their own men on the battlefields and seas of WW1. In 1918 the war arrived directly on the shores of Islay. The torpedoing of the troopship SS Tuscania and the collision of HMS Otranto with another vessel in her convoy resulted in the deaths of over 500, mainly American, servicemen. The people of Islay rose to the challenge of these two events in an inspirational way.
One hundred years on these events will be remembered and those involved honoured.

“In chosen ground on Islay’s shore those gallant men are laid
And by the kindly Highland folk their lonely graves were made.
When tales are told of other days and sorrows that have been
May we then tell theirs and keep their memory green.”
(Anon)*