About eight o'clock on the evening of 8th December, 1962, the trawler Boston Heron ran aground at Stilamair, an uninhabited island south-west of Scalpay in the Little Minch. A south- south-westerly gale was blowing, gusting to force 9, and the sea was very rough.

It was one hour after low water. The night was dark with an overcast sky and occasional rain showers.

At 9.30 the Stornoway coastguard informed the honorary secretary of the Stornoway life-boat station, Captain Alexander Mackay, of the casualty, and at 10.5 the Stornoway life-boat The James and Margaret Boyd, which is one of the 52-foot Barnett type, left her moorings.

Hampered by Outlying Rocks When the life-boat reached the scene of the casualty she found four motor fishing vessels, Scalpay Isle, Venture, Marion and Jahan, standing by. Neither the life-boat nor any of the fishing vessels could get close enough to give effective help because of the outlying rocks.

The Scalpay Isle therefore made for Tarbert, where she embarked the life- saving apparatus company, whom she landed on the north side of Stilamair Island.

In the meantime a 14-foot open rowing boat manned by six men put out from Scalpay Island. She was able to approach closer to the trawler, and although she could not get alongside she rescued the master, who was cling- ing to a rock in a state of exhaustion, and two other men who had managed to swim ashore. The rowing boat then returned to Scalpay and the survivors were taken to Tarbert.

The Tarbert L.S.A. team succeeded in rescuing two more men by breeches buoy, but it was learnt later that seven of the crew were drowned. Five of the bodies were recovered.

For this service the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to the six men who manned the rowing boat. They were: William MacSween, Senior, William MacSween, Junior, Finlay MacSween, Neil Cun- ningham, Norman Cunningham and Calum Gillies..