Arnish Lighthouse

At the beginning of June, the fishing vessel Brothers left Gairloch, on the mainland. She never returned. After a two-day search, her wreck was found under 40 feet of water at Eilean Trodday, north of Skye. The liferings were recovered from Loch Broom, 35 miles to the northeast, but the two crewmen were missing. Last night came the news that the body of one of them has been recovered from the shore at Mellon Udridge, on Gruinard Bay. The other man remains missing.

Although this is strictly speaking a mainland story, it happened in waters facing Lewis and all fishermen in the island and beyond will have been following this sad tale. Speaking bluntly, it could happen to any of them, at any time.

Today, I was thinking of another mysterious disappearance at sea, one which was never cleared up. The boat of a Muck fisherman was found going round in circles north of the island, with nobody on board. Her single crewman had gone out that September evening in 2003, as the weather was good. He never returned to port. A severe blow for the tiny community on Muck. A memorial for him was erected at Arisaig later in that year.