114536: Tornado in Lewis

In the Carloway district, the gale blew for over an hour with a force and severity unknown to the oldest living inhabitants. The following are the heaviest damages to be recorded in the locality;

The two manses suffered again a good deal. The FC manse with many windows smashed by roof slates being hurled through them. While patches of sarking are noticeable on the UF manse, also many pieces of roof lead displaced. The dwelling premises in the schoolhouse got completely stripped of the ridge lead which in twisted shapes was left hanging by its corners to either side of the roof. A building consisting of two barns and byre recently put up and belonging to Mr John Morrison, merchant, was completely unroofed, the corrugated iron and wood being carried off in the air to the top of Upper Carloway. The only damage to sea property was that of a fishing boat (Buller’s) which was undergoing repairs – it having at the end of last year while pursuing the herring fishing at Uig, came to grief by running on a sunken reef. It is a pity that this persevering fisherman should have to meet this additional expense.

Extract from the Stornoway gazette, March 24, 1921