118775: The Great Gale of 1921

At the time of its striking, on Wednesday 16th March 1921, this was the most destructive gale known to have hit the Isle of Lewis. There was hardly a building on the island that was not damaged in some way; in many cases whole buildings collapsed. Most of the boats in Stornoway Harbour were wrecked. The anemometer at the coastguard station registered a hundred miles per hour, a hurricane force gale, before it was carried away by the wind.

Local impacts included:

Aignish
Four people were killed when the roof of a white house was blown off and its walls collapsed. A young mother and her baby were killed as was her father-in-law. Her husband died of his wounds before the doctor arrived.

North Tolsta
Several people were slightly hurt, but there was no loss of life in Tolsta; there was extensive damage to property. Peats flew through the air and stones weighing several pounds were tossed around. A large number of carts were smashed and many corn stacks were carried into the sea. The estimated cost of damage to property and corn in the district was £5000.

• The Free Presbyterian Church was razed to the ground and its corrugated roofing caused much damage as it struck other houses and corn stacks. It is said that pieces of the roof flew through the air at 200 feet high; some pieces were found half a mile away. The walls of the church were cracked iin several places.
• The school building was badly damaged.
• The roof of the Post Office was carried away.
• Four of the six windows in the teachers’ house were smashed.
• A large number of outhouses were demolished.
• Two recently built house which were roofed with felt were destroyed and all belongings lost. About a dozen thatched houses were unroofed.
  • Donald Macmillan, of 2 Glen Tolsta, saw the house destroyed and all belongings were lost.
  • Widow Jessie Smith, of 47 North Tolsta, whose eldest son was bedridden, saw her house unroofed. With help her son was moved to the barn until he could be taken to the nearest house.
  • John Murray and his widowed daughter Mary Murray saw the loss of a chimney stack at 30 North Tolsta. This was brought down by pieces of the church roof, and stones crashed through the thatch. Nobody was hurt.​

More information can be found on the North Tolsta Historical Society website.