hm yacht iolaire

The Iolaire Centre

The iolaire disaster.

At 1.55am on 1st January 1919, a naval yacht carrying sailors home on leave rang aground on rocks near the village of Holm, a mere 20 yards from the shore of the Isle of Lewis and less than a mile from the safe harbour of Stornoway.

HMY Iolaire was crowded with 280 men, mostly naval reservists returning to the safety and comfort of their homes after the horrors of the Great War. On this dark night of winter a force ten gale was blowing from the south, hard onto the shore, and there was a heavy sea running.

Men drowned as they jumped or slid into the sea from the pitching ecks, were flung back into the angry foam from lifeboats awash and overloaded, were dashed against jagged rocks, or managed to swim and crawl ashore, only to die before they could reach shelter or aid.

By the time the first New Year’s Day of peacetime dawned, 201 men had lost their lives, 181 of them on the very shores of the island they called home.

“No one now alive in Lewis can ever forget the 1st January 1919, and future generations will speak of it as the blackest day in the history of the island, for on it 200 of our bravest and best perished on the very threshold of their homes under the most tragic circumstances. The terrible disaster at Holm on New Year’s morning has plunged every home and every heart in Lewis into grief unutterable. Language cannot express the desolation, the despair which this awful catastrophe has inflicted. One thinks of the wide circle of blood relations affected by the loss of even one of these gallant lads, and imagination sees those circles multiplied by the number of the dead, overlapping and overlapping each other till the whole island – every hearth and home in it – is shrouded in deepest gloom. All the island’s war losses in the past four cruel years – although these numbers fully four times the death roll of New Year’s Day morning – are not comparable to this unspeakable calamity. The black tragedy has not a redeeming feature.” William Grant, founder of the Stornoway Gazette, January 1919. Reprinted in the Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour, 1920.

Full excerpt taken from “The Darkest Dawn: The Story of the Iolaire Tragedy” by Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John MacLeod.

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The sinking of h m yacht iolaire, 1 january 1919.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day 1919 HMY ‘Iolaire’ struck rocks off Holm Point as the vessel approached Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis. Records in NRS provide evidence of the lives of many of the official total of 205 men who lost their lives in the wreck of the Iolaire on 1 January 1919, and the impact the tragedy had on the community of the Island of Lewis. Few families there did not experience the loss of relatives or friends among the 184 Lewis men who died, most of whom had served in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). The bereaved also included some of the 3,100 Lewis men who had served in the wartime RNR. Most of them survived to enjoy the peace, but some lost fathers, uncles, brothers or cousins on the Iolaire.

Biastan Holm (the Beast of Holm) rocks in the approach to Stornoway harbour, 1897.  National Records of Scotland, IRS126/651

In December 1918 Iolaire was a lightly-armed steam-powered yacht in the Royal Navy’s Auxiliary Patrol force, based at Stornoway. It had been hired in 1915 by the Admiralty (pennant no. 065) to augment the thousands of small vessels that served in home and foreign waters. It was built as a private yacht in 1881 at Ramage and Ferguson’s shipyard in Leith. In November 1918 it was renamed Iolaire, having previously carried the name Amalthaea, and before that, Iolanthe and Mione.

The Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire under the name 'Amalthaea'  Image credit: Ness Historical Society, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Among the scattered records in NRS that relate to the Iolaire disaster, the testaments and other sheriff court records provide precious evidence of individual circumstances, and highlight some of the social conditions on Lewis that shaped the lives of some of those who perished in the wreck. A little-known series of records shows how islanders appealed against conscription during the First World War.

Some islanders' stories

Details of inventory of estate of Donald Campbell, RNR, who died on the Iolaire.  National Records of Scotland, SC25/44/31, p.685

Leading Seaman 2058/C Donald Campbell served in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), listed as on the strength of HMS Pembroke, the shore establishment. He was married to Catherine Campbell. Donald Campbell’s testament contains a revealing inventory listing his unpaid wages, the value of his possessions, the ‘war gratuity’ payable to his widow and the RNR gratuity for his service, a total of £133.7s.11d (equivalent to purchasing power of about £5,250 in 2018). His younger brother Alexander Campbell, who lived nearby at 8 Vatisker, also died in the disaster on 1 January 1919, aged 42, but his body was never recovered. He was a Leading Seaman, 2999/C, on HMS ‘Victory’, married to Jessie Graham.

Donald and Angus Campbell of Vatisker, Lewis. 'Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After' (Stornoway, 1920), pp.30-31.  Images used under Creative Commons Attribution International License 4.0

Another of the dead was Angus Macdonald, who lived at 42 Leurbost, Lochs, Lewis, with his wife Mary. A Royal Naval Reservist, no 1830/D, nominally attached to HMS Imperieuse, a receiving ship from which personnel were posted. On his death at the age of 45, his Post Office savings account was found to be worth £402 (equivalent to purchasing power of about £18,600 in 2018).

Malcolm Martin, 21 Balallan, Lewis. 'Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After' (Stornoway, 1920), p.322. Image used under Creative Commons Attribution International License 4.0

In the pre-war years a labourer named Malcolm Martin left Lewis in search of a better life, eventually finding work as a shepherd at Punta Arenas in Southern Chile. Why he left is unclear, but in October 1906 he and another man were fined three guineas at Stornoway Sheriff Court for breach of the peace and malicious mischief. In a dispute possibly connected to elections to the Balallan School Board, they had hurled peats, smashed windows and broken into the schoolhouse, whose occupants they frightened. (British Newspaper Archive, ‘Inverness Courier’, 12 October 1906; petition for bail, 1906, NRS, SC33/37/1906/52 )

Martin was back home on a visit when war broke out in 1914. Unable to return to South America, he was living in his parents’ house at 21 Balallan and helping his father Donald’s croft. In 1916, like many other young men in the district, he appealed against conscription. He claimed that he had set himself up in South America with horses and land, and needed to return to look after them. Read about his appeal case in the ScotlandsPeople website. 

After the local tribunal rejected his appeal Martin joined the Royal Naval Reserve. He is listed on the strength of HMS Pembroke, the shore establishment at Portsmouth, but like other RNR personnel from Lewis, probably served on auxiliary naval vessels. And like other Lewismen serving in the RNR, he boarded the Iolaire for the voyage home on 31 December 1918. He died in the wreck, and his body was buried at Laxey Cemetery, Lochs. His death is recorded both in the register for Stornoway registration district and the Extracts from Navy Returns of Deaths (Minor Records vol. 146 in ScotlandsPeople).

Register of Deaths, and detail of entry for Malcolm Martin, 1 January 1919  National Records of Scotland, Register of Deaths 1919, Stornoway District, 88/269 

Credit: Image supplied by the artist. williambwallacecollection.co.uk

This commemorative painting ‘Known Unto God’ by William Wallace, a distant relative of Malcolm Martin who died on the Iolaire, was completed in 2019 to mark the 100th anniversary of the maritime tragedy. The painting depicts multiple objects that the men would have carried including photographs of loved ones, gifts for children for New Year and memories of home such as the Callanish Stones, black house and Lews Castle. Symbolism can be seen in the form of a mournful centaur which represents ‘The Beasts of Holm’ (the rocks which the Iolaire struck on that fateful morning) and a dead eagle; the yacht’s name in Gaelic.

In common with the rest of Scotland, and particularly with people involved in agriculture, a typical reason for Lewis men to object to being conscripted was the hardship that would be caused to their families by their absence on military service. The tribunal might postpone their call-up date to allow them time to arrange for assistance on their croft. Many eligible men living on crofts at Balallan appealed against conscription, and were generally refused.

In 1916 Malcolm MacIver’s appeal came from no. 40 Breasclet, Stornoway. A remarkable letter of support was written by his father Neil and sixteen neighbours at Breasclet on 21 May 1917, highlighting the precariousness of the crofters’ existence. They requested that Macolm be granted condition exemption because of his mother’s age (72) and poor health, the mental incapacity of his sister, ‘who has constantly to be under close supervision’, and the absence in France of his brother. If Malcolm were called away from home ‘the usual annual supply of peats are uncut, and will remain so’, and ‘croft-work, cattle and sheep shall go unattended – in fact home and croft shall soon become vacant' ( SC33/62/1/90 ).

Of Malcolm’s two brothers on active service, John was also in the RNR, but survived the war. Neil MacIver, an NCO in the 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, died of gas poisoning on 5 May 1915.

Another islander who was conscripted and subsequently died on active service was Evander Mackenzie (or McKenzie), a mason and crofter of 13 Branahuie, by Stornoway, who joined 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, and died in France on 10 May 1917. His conscription appeal papers are in NRS (ref SC33/62/1/37).

Learn more about Military Service Appeals Tribunal records.

Some Lewis men escaped potential death on the Iolaire by the chance of being selected to sail on the vessel 'Sheila', which departed from Kyle of Lochalsh after the Iolaire. Others slipped aboard the 'Sheila' without permission. They included Donald “Dòhmnall Magaidh” MacDonald who had twice avoided being killed during his wartime naval service. As he later recounted:

‘The third time my life was saved, I was on my way home when the Iolaire was lost. The Iolaire came to pick up the sailors. There were that many going home that New Year and the Sheila could not take them all. I was on board the Iolaire when this soldier that I knew shouted to me “Donald, I have got a bottle of Whisky and would be very happy if the two of us were going across together. I wonder if I gave you a soldier’s coat and a hat could you pretend to be a soldier.” I got on the Sheila through mischief and that saved my life that night.’

(Extract of recollection told to Angus Campbell, 'Am Puilean', who was interviewed and recorded by Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (Ness Historical Society), courtesy of the Society)

Donald "D ò hmnall Magaidh" MacDonald. Courtesy of Linda Sinclair

The statutory registers

The statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages also help to cast light on the families caught up in the tragedy. For example, the births registered in Stornoway during 1918 include many children born to fathers then serving in the Royal Naval Reserve. Several of them died in the Iolaire disaster, but many survived the war and returned home safely.

Among the children born to fathers on active service was Mary Campbell, born on 6 November 1918. Her father Kenneth Campbell was born in 1889, the son of a crofter, and was a fisherman when he married Mary Murray, a fish worker, on 18 December 1913. During the First World War served as a seaman on HMS Galatea, a light cruiser-turned-minelayer. In 1917 and 1918 he lost two brothers who were killed while serving in the RNR. On 25 November 1918 he was in Stornoway to register his daughter’s birth, and was among those who died in the wreck of the Iolaire. Seven months later his widow registered a change of name for their daughter, who was to be called ‘Kennethina Mary’ in his memory. (Kennethina Mary married John Denoon in 1940, and died in 1999.)

Either side of Mary Campbell in the Register of Births are Duncan Nicolson and Hugh Stewart. Their fathers also earned their living at sea, but their fortunes differed from Kenneth Campbell’s, and reflect the fact that the majority of Lewis men did not die on wartime service. Murdo Nicolson, born in 1866 at Back, Stornoway, followed his father’s calling as a fisherman and survived the war. Hugh Stewart, born in 1878, was another fisherman. He served in the Royal Naval Reserve and lived to see the peace.

Birth entry for Mary Campbell and others, November 1918. National Records of Scotland, Register of Births, Stornoway District, 1918, 88/212

Registering the deaths

The huge loss of life on the Iolaire posed a challenge for the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for Stornoway District, George Macleod, and his assistant, Peggy MacRitchie.

The status of the servicemen on board, and the fact that the bodies of several men were never found, complicated the task of registering their deaths. Twenty officers and crewmen of the Iolaire perished, but seven survived. Twelve of the deaths were registered soon after the disaster, on 5 January 1919, on information supplied by the Captain of the Naval Depot at Stornoway (Britain’s largest Royal Naval Reserve base). These twelve deaths were registered to help the families of the dead. Almost all of them lived in England. The bodies were despatched from Stornoway on 4 January.

Telegram from the Registrar at Stornoway to the Registrar General, requesting guidance on registering deaths of men whose bodies were being sent to England 4 January 1919.  National Records of Scotland, GRO5/1076

On 10 February 1919, concerned that only twelve registered deaths were reported in the monthly returns, the Registrar General asked the Registrar how registration of the deaths was progressing.

In other marine disasters involving fatalities the Procurator Fiscal examined the available evidence regarding the deaths of British subjects and submitted a Report of Precognition to the relevant Registrar. Soon after the ‘Iolaire’ disaster the Procurator Fiscal in Stornoway indicated to the Registrar that he would not be supplying such reports. He may have been anticipating the need for a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI), which was sat on 10 - 11 February 1919. Among its findings were the inadequate response of the boat’s crew to the initial impact, the insufficient number of life- belts, boats and rafts, and the delay in deploying life-saving apparatus on the shore.

Report of the FAI findings.  National Records of Scotland, GRO5/1076

Following the verdict of the FAI, the cause of death by ‘drowning’, which had been entered for the twelve deaths registered to date, was corrected on 31 March 1919 to ‘suffocation due to submersion’. This cause of death became the standard for almost all the other ‘Iolaire’ deaths that were registered; from late March until late May 1919 more than 100 of the deaths were registered. They were mostly of seamen like Malcolm Martin and Kenneth Campbell who had served in the Royal Naval Reserve. Some deaths were not registered until after bodies were recovered when the wreck was raised. The deaths of another 80 or so RNR and RNVR men were not registered until the period 29 November - 29 December 1919. Many of these deaths were of men whose bodies had not been recovered. The delay probably added to the anguish of the families involved. The work was stressful for the Registrar, and for his assistant, Peggy MacRitchie, who resigned in 1920 ‘because she felt the work too heavy for her’.

The Iolaire Disaster Fund

In response to the disaster, on 6 January an all-male committee was formed ‘to provide assistance for the dependants of men who lost their lives in the wreck of His Majesty’s yacht ‘Iolaire’ at the entrance of Stornoway Harbour’. The Iolaire Disaster Fund was quickly constituted and opened to public subscription. The first registered donation was £1,000 from Lord Leverhulme, who owned Lewis and Harris. Other donations and fundraising concerts during 1919 gathered a total of £29,116. 7s.

Payments to families who had lost fathers, brothers or sons typically ranged from £7 to £9. 10s per year. In 1919 payments to dependants amounted to £2,198. 11s. 4d.. The fund had supported 201 families by the time the final payments were made in January 1938, when the last children of the dependants turned 18 years old.

Sources/Further Reading

This article draws on various records held in National Records of Scotland. 

ScotlandsPeople, Statutory Registers of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and Corrected Entries 

National Records of Scotland, File on deaths at sea, 1914-1926 (GRO5/1076)

National Records of Scotland, Examiners’ reports on registers in 1919 (GRO1/65, p.85)

ScotlandsPeople, Military Service Appeal Tribunal cases, Stornoway Sheriff Court records (SC33/62) 

National Records of Scotland, Inland Revenue file on Iolaire Disaster Fund (IRS21/1338)

Hebridean Connections, ​Iolaire Disaster Fund: volumes and papers

John Macleod, ‘When I heard the bell: the Loss of the Iolaire’ (Birlinn, 2009)

Naval-History.net, ​ An Index to "British Warships 1914-1919" by F. J. Dittmar & J. J. Colledge  

National Records of Scotland, Open Book, ​ The Sinking of the Tuscania, 1918

‘Loyal Lewis Roll of Honour 1914 and After’ (Stornoway, 1920)

‘Dol Fodha na Grèine: The Going Down of the Sun: The Great War and a Rural Lewis Community’ (Stornoway, 2014)

‘The Darkest Dawn: The story of the Iolaire Disaster’, Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John MacLeod (Stornoway, 2018)  

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The sinking of the Iolaire

Contributed by Mrs Fiona Baird

At 1.50 a.m. on January 1 st 1919, His Majesty’s Yacht Iolaire ran aground on the rocks known as the ‘Beasts of Holm’ about a mile from the ship’s destination, the port of Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides.  She capsized with the loss of over 200 men, most of them Royal Naval Reservists returning from service in the Great War.   Only 83 souls were known to have survived the sinking, still reckoned as the worst peacetime disaster of the entire 20 th century involving a British ship in British waters.

The majority of the servicemen on board were men from the islands of Lewis and Harris.  The loss of the Iolaire “widowed 67 women, orphaned as least 209 children, and drowned six pairs of brothers” (MacLeod 2010).  Some villages lost all of their men at the very moment when they were preparing to rejoice at their homecoming having been spared by the war.  More than a thousand men from the islands had been killed already in service, so this additional loss when peace had been secured was doubly devastating for these tight-knit communities.

The Iolaire (Gaelic for ‘Eagle’) had been built in 1881 and was a luxury yacht before the War.  She weighed 634 tons (without guns) and had been used in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic, but on New Year’s Eve 1918 she was in the port of Kyle of Lochalsh as hundreds of men from Lewis and Harris emptied out of trains that had brought them north on their journey home.  The Iolaire could safely accommodate 100 people, but as no adequate provisions had been made to take them further, the result was a dangerously overcrowded yacht with two out of three passengers on board having no lifebelts and only two lifeboats.  A second ship, the Mail Steamer Sheila , was due to set sail after the Iolaire , so some men clambered aboard the latter in their eagerness to get home, a mistake many never lived to regret. 

Iolaire left Kyle at 7.30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and struck the rocks a little before 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day.  Most accounts indicate that she had veered off course in the high winds that night.  Bodies were being washed ashore for weeks after the event.  In the hurried Court of Inquiry held on January 8 th , the first of several, the master of the Sheila , testified that he had seen the Iolaire leave Kyle in good order, a response to reports and rumours that drunkenness in command might have been a reason for the tragedy.  In subsequent investigations, many such testimonies confirmed that the officers and crew of the stricken ship were sober on that night, but it was accepted that the lack of life-saving equipment, confusion on board, and even a broken radio all contributed to the calamity that befell the Iolaire .  The eventual outcome was inconclusive, much to the dismay of the islanders.  A memorial to the dead and missing was eventually raised at Holm Point nearly 40 years later.

Useful sources:

John MacLeod:  When I Heard The Bell: The Loss of the Iolaire (Birlinn, 2010)

Malcolm Macdonald and Donald John McLeod:  The Darkest Dawn: The Story of the Iolaire Tragedy (Acair, 2018)

Karen Clavelle:  Iolaire (Turnstone Press, 2017)

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• The Loss of HM Yacht Iolaire 1st January 1919
• World War I Articles

Hogmanay 1918 and many families in the Western Isles awaited with great anticipation the imminent return of husbands, fathers and sons after four long years of war. Such was the demand to get returning servicemen home, the mailboat ‘Sheila’ could not cope with the demand and therefore the Admiralty drafted in the Yacht Iolaire to assist. But when the Iolaire arrived at Kyle at 4pm on 31 December, she collided with the pier as a result some refused to board her. 

Above:  The Admiralty yacht HMY Iolaire under the name 'Amalthaea'  Image credit:  Ness Historical Society , via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

The Iolaire finally left the port of Kyle of Lochalsh on the Scottish mainland late on 31 December 1918. On board were around 254 returning servicemen, many of whom had served in the Royal Naval Reserve, two base sailors and a crew of 24. Therefore around 280 men crammed aboard.

At 1.55am on 1 January 1919, the Iolaire was approaching Stornoway harbour when, in appalling weather and sea conditions, she hit the infamous ‘Beasts of Holm’ so close to harbour were these rocks that those on board would have seen the lights of Stornoway.

Above: Stornaway in the Western Isles 

Above: Lying close to the entrance of Stornoway Harbour these rocks are the ‘Beasts of Holm’

Two lifeboats were launched but were smashed upon the rocks by the mountainous seas and as the yacht heeled heavily to starboard, many jumped into the sea but were dashed against the rocks. Many of those aboard could not swim and those that could were hampered by their greatcoats and boots.

Seaman John F Macleod (image below) from the Port of Ness managed to secure a rope, and around 40 men were saved as a result, but a total of 181 islanders, the 2 returning base sailors and 18 of the crew perished.

Above: The mast of the Iolaire remained visible after the sinking

Pension cards for many of those lost can be found in the records preserved by The Western Front Association. Two young men from Borve on the island of Berneray were amongst those lost.

These two lads have consecutive service numbers, having enlisted together on 25 September 1918, both aged 18. They took the decision to board the Iolaire , rather than await the boat for Tarbert due on 1 January. Norman’s body was not recovered but Donald is buried in Berneray Burial Ground.

Seaman John MacDonald came from Ness – a community which lost 23 men from the Iolaire .

John married Jessie Finlayson on 18 October 1918, during his last leave at home. Although no mention is made on the Pension Card, his widow Jessie was initially refused a pension on the grounds that there was no proof that her marriage had been consummated. However the pension was later granted.

Seaman John Murray, also from Ness, was one of the oldest servicemen lost that night. He left a widow, three sons and a daughter and is buried at Ness (St Peter) Old Cemetery.

Another Ness casualty of the Iolaire had previously served in 2 Seaforth Highlanders, Seaman Donald Morrison had enlisted at Fort George on 30 September 1908, serving in the Special Reserve until his mobilisation on 1 September 1914.

He was severely wounded in the back at St Julien near Ypres on 26 April 1915, when many of the battalion were killed in action. Donald was discharged in September 1915 but later enlisted in the Navy in August 1916.

Other casualties of the Iolaire had survived torpedo attacks in which the ship on which they were serving was lost.

Seaman Kenneth MacPhail from Arnol had enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1911 and was mobilised on 2 August 1914, serving on HMS Prince of Wales until May 1916. However, on 31 October 1917 he was aboard SS Cambric when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea by U-35. One of only five survivors, his Service Record indicates that he clung onto wreckage for 36 hours until washed ashore. He was admitted to the military hospital in Cherchell, Algeria before being repatriated and later served on HMS President III.

Seaman Murdo Maclean from South Bragar had served on SS Inverbervie when it was torpedoed and sunk by UC.14 in the Mediterranean. Also from South Bragar, Seaman Malcolm Macdonald had survived the explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 6 December 1917 whilst serving on HMS Calgarian. Both were lost in the tragedy, just yards from the shore of their homeland.

Above: Malcolm Macdonald

For some families, the loss was not just one son, but two.

Donald and Murdo MacDonald from Swainbost were travelling home together. A family story relates that Donald, a strong swimmer, reached the shore but returned to the wreck to search for his brother. Neither survived, with Donald’s body never found whilst Murdo was buried at Ness (St Peter) Old Ground. From North Tolsta, brothers Donald and Malcolm Macleod were both lost from the Iolaire . From Sheshader, two brothers perished - both named John but known as John Snr and John Jnr Macdonald.

And also from Leurbost, brothers Alexander and John Mackenzie were lost.

Tragedy followed tragedy for the family of Seaman Donald Maclean of North Lochs.

Donald, a married man with seven children, had served in the Royal Naval Reserve since 1905 and was mobilised on 4 August 1914. His eldest daughter, Catherine, collapsed at the news of the tragedy and died a few days later. Both she and her father were buried together in Crossbost Cemetery.

Of the crew of 24, 18 were lost, the youngest of whom was Signal Boy David McDonald from Aberdeen, aged 17. He is buried at Sandwick, Stornoway.

Above: Sandwick Cemetery graves.

Commander Richard Mason of HMY Iolaire also perished but although his body was recovered according to local press reports at the time, there is apparently no record of any burial place.

For the islanders, the loss of the Iolaire was devastating, not least because the tragedy left an estimated 250 children without a father. For decades, many could not even speak about the events of that night, such was the pain and grief still felt. Many also felt anger at the way in which the Naval Court of Inquiry was convened on 8 January 1919 within days of the tragedy, with survivors, many of whom were still traumatised by events, summoned to attend. The refusal of the Admiralty to publish the findings of the Inquiry further inflamed the feelings of the bereaved. The findings were not published until 50 years later and were locally generally felt to (wrongly) exonerate the actions of the officers involved. Furthermore, the actions of the Admiralty in allowing the wreck to be sold and later broken up in the late 1920s enraged the islanders and those who had lost loved ones. And for those that had survived, many experienced such a sense of survivor guilt that some emigrated from the islands in the inter war years, further decimating small and fragile communities. It would not be until 1960 that a memorial was erected to those lost.

Above: Iolaire Memorial obelisk

Article by Jill Stewart and Robert Stone

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The Loss of The IOLAIRE

“ no one now alive in lewis can ever forget the 1 st of january 1919 and future generations will speak of it as the blackest day in the history of the island, for on it 200 of our bravest and best perished on the very threshold of their homes under the most tragic circumstances.” so wrote william grant of the stornoway gazette..

THE IOLAIRE YACHT 1881-1919

At about 0150 on the morning of Wednesday 1 st January 1919 Her Majesty’s Yacht IOLAIRE ran aground on the Beasts of Holm at the entrance to Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Two hundred and fifty men were lost, only seventy-five were saved.

At around 1930 on the evening of 31 st December 1918 HMY IOLARE sailed from the Kyle of Lochalsh to Lewis with servicemen on leave. Their families, friends and sweethearts were waiting for them at Stornoway or at their homes on Lewis and Harris but many of the men were destined never to see them again: an appalling tragedy of devastating proportions. Fifty-six bodies were never recovered.

The men, many of them Royal Navy Reservists, were coming home on leave from Plymouth and Portsmouth by train to Inverness and then on to Kyle. It was apparent to those organising the return that the regular MacBrayne ferry, Sheila would not be able to take them all and so the Royal Navy’s Stornoway Depot ship HMY IOLAIRE (formerly the Amalthea) was dispatched to Kyle to assist.

The first train arrived at Kyle at 1815 and the second at 1900. Three hundred and twenty libertymen disembarked. Sheila took thirty of them and the balance, two hundred and ninety – all naval ratings – were crowded onto the IOLAIRE , which was overloaded.  No names were recorded so there were no passenger lists. At 1930 the lines were cast off. The Sheila would sail half an hour later.

Neither Commander Mason, the Captain, nor Lieutenant Cotter, the Navigating Officer, had taken a vessel into Stornoway at night. Neither of them survived.

By 2155 the IOLAIRE should have cleared Rona Light at her normal speed of ten knots and would have been heading out into the Minch from the Sound of Raasay on a northerly course for the forty mile passage to Stornoway. From midnight the wind freshened from the south with intermittent squalls. From the testimony of the helmsman, James McLean – on the wheel from 2359 to 0100 – “lights could be seen quite distinctly”. At 0100 Lieutenant Cotter, took the watch from Commander Mason who went down to his cabin.  And the helmsman changed.

When James McLean took the wheel at 2359 she was on a “north-easterly course – just a touch easterly” and making good about two degrees east of North. At 0030 course was altered to North.

For most of the passage the wind was reported to have been from astern with very little motion but it increased in force as they approached Lewis and there was a heavy sea running according to the skipper of the fishing vessel Spider .

James McLean could see the light at Arnish Point about half a point on the port bow. What happened after that is unclear except that she entered the approaches to Stornoway too far to the east. Some witnesses on deck reported that they could see the shore far too close to the ship and two witnesses stated that in the five to ten minutes before she struck there was a change in the motion of the ship, which would have been as a result of a bold alteration to port bringing the sea onto the port beam.  James MacDonald, skipper of the fishing vessel Spider, which had been overtaken by the IOLAIRE opposite the entrance to Lock Grimashadar (just over two  miles south of the Beasts of Holm), stated in his testimony that, “I noticed that the vessel did not alter her course… but kept straight on in the direction of the Beasts of Holm. I remarked to one of the crew that the vessel would not clear the headland at Holm ….”

Moments later at about 0150 the IOLAIRE struck the Beasts of Holm – a remote location on the eastern side of the approaches to Stornoway and found herself between them and the rocky shore being pounded by large waves in total darkness and listing heavily to starboard. Fifty or sixty men were pitched into the sea immediately and were lost. A few managed to jump to safety as the stern swung into the shore. Distress rockets were sent up – fired by Cdr Mason – and the sirens sounded. Witnesses reported that no orders were ever issued from the Bridge.

As the ship settled she swung beam on to the shore which was about twenty yards away. John Finlay MacLeod, aged 32, braving the cold and the rocks swam ashore with a heaving line by means of which a hawser was pulled ashore and made fast but required backing up by men who made it to land. It was reported that thirty – forty men got ashore by this means. Some who tried couldn’t hold on. “Mountainous waves” were rolling over the ship and shortly afterwards she toppled over to port, the hawser was lost and the ship disappeared leaving only her masts showing.

About 0300 one survivor made it to the only habitation nearby, Stoneyfield farmhouse, and alerted the owners to the disaster.

The loss of two hundred and five men that morning was a devastating tragedy for the families and friends waiting ashore to greet them. Many villages lost all the menfolk of that generation and many of the women never married.

How did it happen?

A Court of Inquiry was held on 8 th January 1919. It reported that, “From the evidence there appears to be nothing to account for the disaster. None of those on watch on the Bridge (the wheelhouse was on the deck below) at the time are survivors.”

What is irrefutable is that the IOLAIRE was too far to the east of her intended track as she approached the entrance to Stornoway harbour. So how could that have happened?

• Was it simply a failure to plot the ship’s track properly, although wind and tide were probably not significant factors because both were from the south (astern). In the days before radar there were few fixing marks at night, so initially Lt Cotter would have used dead-reckoning to plot his position.
• Was it because the planned track initially used Tiumpan Head light as the leading mark rather than Arnish Point light and she wheeled over to North too late.
• Did she alter course to starboard (to the east) to increase the range from the fishing vessel Spider, also heading for Stornoway who she was overtaking and then failed to alter back to port.

From the Director of Navigation’s reconstruction of events, having read the testimony of the witnesses, after the northern point of South Rona was cleared at about 2155 – assuming she was proceeding at her normal speed of ten knots – course was altered to North 2 degrees East ( not clear how he could be certain about this given the lack of evidence – charts or witnesses.  Helmsman James McLean’s evidence was from 2359. ) and then at 0030 altered to North which was maintained until very shortly before the stranding. But the correct course from South Rona to Arnish Light at the entrance to Stornoway harbour was North 7 degrees West. Was Cdr Mason initially running on Tiumpan Head Light, the most easterly point of Lewis? Neither light, with nominal ranges of 13 and 19 miles respectively, would have been visible until the vessel was well into the Minch.

CHART OF THE PASSAGE:

Chart of the Passage

Chart of the entrance to Stornoway

But even if they were running on Tiumpan there would have been a planned alteration of course to port to run on Arnish Light. The wind was southerly, ie from astern and rising and the tidal stream from 2359 until she grounded was southerly. From the testimony of the only surviving helmsman, James MacLean, (who had the wheel from 2359 to 0100) at 0030 course was indeed altered to North and the Arnish Light was quite distinct half a point (about 5 degrees) on the port bow. This course was held until 0100 but what happened after that is unclear. In his evidence the Director of Navigation stated that “in the twelve mile run from that time [the alteration at 0030] the vessel appears to have been set about 6 cables to the Eastward.”

This would have in due course necessitated the major alteration of course to port, to the West, to bring the Arnish Light, marking the entrance to Stornoway ahead, and to avoid the Beasts of Holm, which were unlit.

Did Lt Cotter, who took over the watch at 0100, make an error in plotting his track or was he not fixing his position regularly and wheeled over to North late – hence the six cable error – distracted by the passengers on the crowded bridge.

The Master of the Sheila was asked if Stornoway was a difficult harbor to enter at night. He replied, “Well it is for the man that does not know it.”

The Inquiry summarised its findings thus:

‘The cause of the accident seems to have been that finding himself to the eastward of his intended position, the Commanding officer [sic] altered course to pass close to Arnish beacon light but, owing to the angle at which he was approaching the harbour, this track led him close to Holm Point; being further from Arnish point  [sic] light than he estimated…instead of clearing Holm Point the ship ran on to Biastan Holm reef [The Beasts].’

And added that;

‘the Officer in Charge … did not exercise sufficient prudence in approaching the harbour.’

The Iolaire Disaster Fund was set up almost immediately.

It wasn’t until 1960 that a modest monument was put up to commemorate the loss, such was the searing impact on the loss on communities in Lewis and Harris.

Commodore Malcolm Williams, Former Chief Executive, Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society.

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Photographic exhibition of striking memorial to HMY Iolaire opens on Stornoway

It was one of the biggest maritime disasters ever to happen in Scotland.

Even now, 100 years later, the tragedy still casts a long shadow over many families.

And now, a photographic exhibition of the construction of a striking memorial to HMY Iolaire has opened in Stornoway.

Many thousands of people have been captivated by the tribute of the installation, on nearby South Beach, which was erected last year to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of the naval yacht outside Stornoway harbour on January 1, 1919, which resulted in no less than 201 fatalities.

Images, drone photos and poetry inspired by the sculpture have now gone on display in Stornoway ferry terminal, showing the work involved in preparing the beach site to the eventual completion of the dramatic, visual tribute.

Wooden posts – which were hewn from timber from the Lews Castle grounds – and depicted the outline of the ship’s hull have been driven into the foreshore by the Iolaire’s berth at number one pier, where families had gathered to welcome their loved ones home, only for all their hopes to be dashed.

White painted markers represent the number of known survivors while 201 have been left plain to highlight the losses.

The sculpture – which changes its appearance slowly every few hours due to the natural ebb and flow of the tide – shows the true size of the vessel – 189 feet from stem to stern, with a 27 foot beam. Each pole is lit up blue at night, except for 79 illuminated in red to depict a survivor.

One mile southward are the Beasts of Holm which the overcrowded naval yacht struck in one of the worst peacetime maritime disasters in UK waters.

All on board were men – some employed as crew while the majority were service personnel from Lewis and Harris who were granted a short spell of New Year leave from the Royal Navy after the end of the conflict.

The memorial on South Beach was commissioned by Stornoway Port Authority to mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy. The concept is by Torcuil Crichton and Malcolm Maclean.

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1059: HMY Iolaire

Originally named the Iolanthe , a luxury yacht  built  in 1881 in Leith, it was subsequently re-named the  Amalthea, Mione and then, requisitioned by the Admiralty during the Great War, as   HM Yacht  Iolaire.

At New Year 1919 the ship was  bringing home servicemen. The men – all naval ratings – were coming home after the terrible experience of hardship at sea during the war. The boat foundered at Holm Point outside Stornoway Harbour with the loss of 205 souls. The bitter irony of having survived the war to meet their end only a stone’s throw from home and safety cannot be adequately expressed. 

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Royal Navy, HM Yacht Iolaire

About this map

Whilst this personal project started simply as an experiment to explore the local legacy of the First World War, but at a global scale, it has struck me that it is much more than that. At the heart of it is the legacy of those who died in the conflict, and especially the scale of the imapct that that would have had on their local communities, it would also never have been possible without the significant legacy created by those who remained, from the families who sent in photographs of their loved ones and which formed the Imperial War Museum's founding Bond of Sacrifice Collection, through the people who diligently compiled official records in the early 1920s and which formed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's records, right up to the modern-day professionals, volounteers and individuals who have shaped these records, shared them, and also significantly increased and enriched them, especially under the guise of First World War Centenary projects like Lives of the First World War

Data and Sources

This project currently contains records for over one million men and women who died whilst serving in the First World War, with over 600,000 locations worldwide, tens of thousands of images, cemeteries, war memorials and much more. It simply wouldn't exist without the core assets that it draws on, enriched by additional information from and links to countless further sources.

Core data sources - personal records and images

• Lives of the First World War - IWM's unique project enabling everyone to share their information, stories and images to compile Life Stories "on nearly 8 million men and women who served in uniform and worked on the home front".
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - a unique online collection of the details of every serviceman or woman. Many of the locations here are extracted from what they call the 'Additional information' field, which typically contains text such as "Son of Samuel and Sarah Morley, of Derby; husband of F. M. Morley, of 113, Peel St., Ashbourne Rd., Derby.". Note that this information was collected sevral years after the end of the war and it does not necessarily represent an address that the person had lived at.
• Imperial War Museums Collections - one of the richest collections of First World War objects and images, most notably in this context the Bond of Sacrifice Collection and the Women's War Work Collection, togther comprising images of nearly 20,000 individuals who served

Core data sources - war memorials

• War Memorial Register - another unique record set from the Imperial War Museum, comprising records of over 78,000 memorials in the British Isles, together with listings of over one million names that appear on them.
• Places of Pride, the National Register of War Memorials (Australia) - over 1,000 records from across Australia, almost all having photographs and additional information
• New South Wales War Memorials Register - The register includes over 3,500 memorials in total, with over 2,000 relating to the First World War. Each record has additional information and most have images. Many include lists of those commemorated
• New Zealand Memorials Register - over 1,000 records from across New Zealand, typically with photographs and additional information

Core data sources - portraits

With specific regards to the portrait images, these are primarliy, but not exclusively, from one of three sources - the incredible Bond of Sacrifice Collection, the Women's War Work Collection (both Imperial War Museums), or uploaded by volunteers and individuals to the Lives of the First World War site (which itself is run by IWM). I am grateful to them for making all these available under a non-commercial license. As an example of an additional image source, the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum has provided over 2,000 portraits under an open license.

Additional information and statistics on the depth and breadth of sources

Additional credits - software and mapping resources

• Map tiles: © ESRI World Topographic Stadia Maps © Stamen Design © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
• Leaflet , the powerful open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.

Contributing records, reporting errors

The data currently presented has all been extracted from official records or from user contributions to the Lives of the First World War site. I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to add further details to find the Life Story of the person and add details there, which can then in future be added to this site

The inherrent nature of historic records and using modern automated tools to extract information means there are bound to be issues. I will shortly be adding a 'report error' link to each record that can be used to flag an issue and will be queued up ready to be investigated and fixed. I'm afraid as this is a personal project created in my own time, I cannot respond to individual requests right now.

For information, questions and bug reports please contact James Morley @astreetnearyou | [email protected]

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Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra, Russia

The capital city of Khanty-Mansi okrug: Khanty-Mansiysk .

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra - Overview

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra is a federal subject of Russia, part of the Urals Federal District. Khanty-Mansiysk is the capital city of the region.

The population of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra is about 1,702,200 (2022), the area - 534,801 sq. km.

Khanty-Mansi okrug flag

Khanty-mansi okrug coat of arms.

Khanty-Mansi okrug map, Russia

Khanty-mansi okrug latest news and posts from our blog:.

21 March, 2020 / Nizhnevartovsk - the view from above .

8 November, 2017 / Surgut - the view from above .

4 March, 2017 / Khanty-Mansiysk - the view from above .

12 February, 2016 / Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug from above .

21 May, 2013 / The most powerful thermoelectric power station in Russia .

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History of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra

Yugra is the historical homeland of the Ob-Ugric peoples: Khanty, Mansi, Nenets, and Selkup. They were engaged in hunting, fishing, cattle breeding. After the Turkic peoples pushed them from south to north, these peoples had to apply their skills in more severe conditions. It is at this new location Ugrians began to domesticate deer.

In the first half of the second millennium AD, the main features of the material and spiritual culture of Khanty, Mansi and forest Nenets were formed. It is believed that since then they have not undergone major changes. Since the second half of the 13th century, a new factor in the development of the region was its entry into the Golden Horde.

At the end of the 14th century, the collapse of the Golden Horde led to the emergence of a separate Tyumen Khanate. In 1495, the Siberian Khanate appeared. At that time the basic principles of political, administrative and socio-economic organization of this territory were developed. The region was called Ugra or Yugra.

More historical facts…

The region became part of Russia in the end of the 16th century. From the middle of the 18th century, this region became a place of exile for criminals. December 10, 1930, Ostyako-Vogul national okrug was formed with the center in the settlement of Samarovo. Construction of a new center began 5 km away from it. In February 1932, the new center of the region was named Ostyako-Vogulsk.

In 1934, the first steps to find oil and natural gas in the region were taken. October 23, 1940, Ostyko-Vogul national okrug was renamed Khanty-Mansi national okrug and Ostyko-Vogulsk was renamed Khanty-Mansiysk. August 14, 1944, the region became part of Tyumen Oblast. On January 27, 1950, Khanty-Mansiysk became a city.

On September 21, 1953, in Berezovo, the first natural gas in Western Siberia was produced. On June 23, 1960, the first oil in Western Siberia was discovered near Shaim. This was followed by the discovery of many other oil and natural gas fields. Along with the industrial exploitation of oil and gas fields, the timber industry developed rapidly.

By the end of the 20th century, under the influence of demographic and socio-economic developments the Khanty-Mansi region in fact lost its national basis. On July 25, 2003, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug was renamed Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra views

Rest on the lake in Yugra

Author: O.Frolov

Golden autumn in the Khanty-Mansy region

Author: Leonid Karpushin

Beautiful nature of Yugra

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra - Features

The name of the region is associated with the self-names of the two main groups of northern peoples - Khanty and Mansi. In the Middle Ages, the word “Yugra” was used to refer to peoples and lands beyond the Northern Urals.

This region, located in the middle of Russia, occupies the central part of the West Siberian Plain. Its territory stretches from west to east for almost 1,400 km, from north to south for 900 km. The area of the region is comparable to France or Ukraine.

The climate is temperate continental characterized by rapid change of weather especially in spring and autumn. Winters are long, snowy and cold with frosts below minus 30 degrees Celsius. Summers are short and warm. From the west this region is protected by the Ural mountains, from the north it is open to cold arctic air.

The highest points of the region are Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m) in the Polar Urals and Mount Pedy (1,010 m) in the Northern Urals. Two major rivers flow in Khanty-Mansi autonomous okrug: the Ob (3,650 km) and its tributary the Irtysh (3,580 km). About 30% of the territory is covered by swamps. There are more than 300,000 lakes surrounded by marshes and forests.

The largest cities of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra are Surgut (396,000), Nizhnevartovsk (280,800), Nefteyugansk (128,700), Khanty-Mansiysk (106,000), Kogalym (69,200), Nyagan (58,500). Today, only about 32,000 people are representatives of indigenous peoples: Khanty, Mansi and Nenets. Half of them live in the traditional way.

This region is very rich in oil and natural gas. The largest oil and natural gas fields are Samotlorskoye, Fedorovskoye, Mamontovskoye, Priobskoye. There are also deposits of gold, coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, lead and other mineral resources.

The climate is not favorable for agriculture. Most of the agricultural products and foodstuffs is brought from other Russian regions. Waterways and railways are the main shipping ways. The total length of the pipeline network is 107,000 km.

About 60% of Russian oil is produced in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra. In total, more than 10 billion tons of oil were produced here. The total number of oil and natural gas fields discovered is 475. In the coming decades, the Khanty-Mansi region will remain the main resource base of hydrocarbons in Russia.

Tourism in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra

Yugra has unique natural, cultural and historical resources for the development of recreation and tourism. On the territory of the region there are historical and cultural monuments, as well as modern infrastructure for lovers of cultural, educational, recreational tourism, and outdoor activities. International events (sports competitions, festivals and forums) help to open this place to foreigners as an amazing corner of the globe.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra has a number of wonderful natural sites worthy of attention: two nature reserves (“Malaya Sosva” and “Yugansky”), four nature parks (“Samarovsky Chugas”, “Siberian ridges”, “Numto”, “Kondinskie lakes”), ten monuments of nature, archeological complexes (“Barsova Mountain”, “Saygatino”, Sherkaly settlement).

Holidays of the northern peoples are also popular among tourists: Reindeer Herder’s Day, Day of indigenous Peoples of the North “Crow day”, Fisherman’s Day, Bear holiday and others.

Active and extreme types of tourism (skiing, snowboarding, kiting) are gaining in popularity. There are seven ski resorts in the region. In summer, travelers can go rafting on mountain rivers of Siberia. Tourists can also go on a special oil tour that includes a visit to the oil-producing companies. They learn about the oil industry and the history of oil exploration in Siberia.

Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra is a region of endless charm of the beautiful nature and modern tourist facilities. True lovers of northern landscapes and local cultures will be able to fully enjoy the incomparable scenery and generous hospitality in Ugra.

Khanty-Mansi okrug of Russia photos

Khanty-mansi autonomous okrug scenery.

Road through autumn forest in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Deep winter snow is not a problem in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Author: Chernenko

Yugra scenery

Author: Sergej Fedotov

Pictures of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra

Winter in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Orthodox church in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Author: Alexey Borodko

Church in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug

Author: Peter Sobolev

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Welcome to the land of sheer silent whiteness. Its vast expanses are filled with fresh Arctic air, howling winds, and the spirit of true adventure. Come with us to the lands of the ancient Khanty and Mansi tribes that survived in this harsh climate of the Nether-Polar Urals . See the mountains that defy any logical or geological reason for their existence. Experience the wonders of this sparsely populated land where you can hardly see a human trace. Welcome to Yugra!

Flora & Fauna

Water resources, landmarks and tourism, major mountains, mount narodnaya, mount zaschita, mount neroyka, the pyramid mountain, samarovskaya mountain, ski and sports facilities, protected sites, reserves, national and natural parks, rivers and lakes, major cities, khanty-mansiysk.

The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – Yugra (KhMAO) is located in the central part of the West Siberian Plain, stretching from west to east from the Ural Range to the Ob-Yenisei Watershed. The vast areas of this plain, as well as the Lower Priob region, are considered one of the most recently inhabited areas.

The Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area (KhMAO) was established in 1930. Its name comes from two main northern indigenous peoples – the Khanty and the Mansi. From 1944 it was legally part of the Tyumen Region , but in 1993 the Area received autonomy and became a full-fledged territorial entity of the Russian Federation. It is a part of the Urals Federal District. The administrative centre is the city of Khanty-Mansiysk , whereas the largest city is Surgut. The word Yugra was introduced to the name of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area in 2003 to pay tribute to the old name used by the locals to call the territories lying beyond the North Urals.

The KhMAO borders the Komi Republic in the north-west, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District in the north, the Krasnoyarsk Area and the Tomsk Region in the east and south-east, the Tyumen Region in the south and the Sverdlovsk Region in the south-west.

The area of the territory is 534,801 sq.km, the length from north to south is 800 km, from west to east is 1400 km. The population of this huge territory is 1,674,676 people as of 2020, which is the same amount as people living in Barcelona or Munich.

The main part of the territory is a huge, poorly dissected plain where absolute elevation marks rarely exceed 200 meters above sea level. The western part of the KhMAO territory is characterized by low and middle mountainous terrains with some Alpine relief featured in the Subpolar Urals. Here are ridges and spurs of the mountain system of the North Urals and the Subpolar Urals. The maximum absolute elevations are on the border with the Komi Republic . Mount Narodnaya (1,895m) is the highest peak.

More than 800 species of higher plants grow in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area . Almost the entire territory is covered by taiga forests that occupy about 52% of the area. Spruce, fir, pine, cedar, larch, birch, alder grow here. In the northern parts of the area, the composition of the vegetation is greatly influenced by perennial permafrost. Light lichen grasslands which are used as deer pastures are widespread there. Tundra dominates in the mountainous and hilly areas. River floodplains and lowlands are characterized by meadow vegetation, the so-called water meadows. High floodplains of large rivers are mainly covered with woods that mainly feature willows, birches and aspens. Forests and swamps are rich in berries and various valuable plants, most of which are used in traditional indigenous medicine.

The animal world is typical for the Russian taiga zone. There are 369 species of vertebrates. Mammals are represented by 60 species (28 of them are commercial species). The most common and valuable of them are wild reindeer, elk, fox, sable, fox, squirrel, marten, ermine, Siberian weasel, polecat, mink, weasel, otter, hare and others. Wolverine and West Siberian river beaver are included in the Red Book of Russia.

There are 256 bird species in the region, including 206 sedentary and nesting species. Some rare bird species are listed in the Red Book. There are 42 species of fish in rivers and lakes. Of these, 19 species are commercial, among them are starlet sturgeon, lelema, muksun (whitefish), pelyad, chir, lake herring, wader, tugun, freshwater cod, pike, ide, roach, bream, fir, perch, ruff, golden and silver crucian carp, carp (carp is grown in the cooling ponds of the Surgutskaya and Nizhnevartovskaya hydroelectric plants). Sturgeon is listed in the Red Book. There is an abundance of mosquitoes and gnats in the area, the greatest activity of which is in the second half of summer.

Yugra can boast of over 2 thousand large and small rivers, the total length of which is 172,000 km. The main rivers are the Ob (3,650 km), the Irtysh (3,580 km). These are some of the largest rivers in Russia. Other significant rivers include the tributaries of the Ob (the Vakh, Agan, Tromyogan, Bolshoy Yugan, Lyamin, Pim, Bolshoy Salym, Nazym, Severnaya Sosva, Kazym rivers), the tributary of the Irtysh (the Konda River) and the Sogom River. Ten rivers are over 500 km long. All the Yugra rivers with the exception of the rivers in the Ural part of the region are characterized by rather slow currents, gentle slopes, some surge wave phenomena, spring and summer floods. The Ob River basin extends over a distance of 700-200 km from the mouths of its tributaries. Such abundance of water facilitates the appearance of floodplain swamps and seasonal lakes.

The region's swamps are predominantly of the upper and transitional type. Those water basins occupy about a third of the region. About 290,000 lakes with the area of more than 1 ha are surrounded by swamps and forests. The largest lakes are Tursuntsky Tuman, Levushinsky Tuman, Vandemtor and Trmemtor. The deepest lakes are Kintus (48 m) and Syrky Sor (42 m). However, most of the lakes (about 90%) are modest and quite small and have no surface runoff.

The area is rich in resources of fresh, mineral and thermal underground waters, which are still insignificantly used.

The climate is moderately continental. Winters are harsh, snowy and long, and summers are short and relatively warm. The territory is protected from the west by the Ural Mountains but its openness from the north has a significant impact on the climate formation because cold air masses from the Arctic freely penetrate the area. The flat character of the terrain with a large number of rivers, lakes and swamps also has its impact. Most of the precipitation falls during the warm seasons. But even with a small amount of precipitation, their evaporation is very low, which as a result contributes to the formation of the zone of excessive moisture throughout the Yugra. The snow cover is stable from late October to early May, its height varies from 50 to 80 cm. The region is characterized by a rapid change of weather conditions, especially in transitional seasons (autumn and spring), as well as during the day. Late spring and early autumn frosts are rather frequent and can happen even until mid-June. Average January temperatures range from -18ºC to -24ºC (0 F to -11 F) and can reach -60ºC to -62ºC (-76 F to -80 F) when the northern cold air masses break through. The average temperature in July, the warmest month of the year, ranges from +15ºC to +20ºC (+59 F to +68 F) and on very rare days can reach a maximum temperature of +36ºC (+97 F). The prevailing wind direction is north in summer and south in winter.

The weather in the mountains is quite changeable and cool even in summer. The best time to visit the region's mountains is between July and mid-August.

The Yugra of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area has a huge natural resource potential. These are oil and gas deposits, forests, gold and iron ore deposits, as well as bauxites, copper, zinc, lead, niobium, tantalum, brown and hard coal deposits, rock crystal, quartz and piezo quartz, peat deposits, etc. The region has plenty of natural resources. In terms of natural gas reserves, the Yugra ranks second in the Russian Federation after the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District .

The industry is dominated by oil and gas production, power generation and processing industries, including woodworking except for pulp and paper production.

The Khanty-Mansi area has very developed tourism of all kinds. There is a modern infrastructure for cultural exploration as well as for active recreation.

Fans of sports and eco-friendly tourism will be able to conquer majestic mountains and raft down picturesque rivers, enjoy the beauty of nature in nature reserves and natural parks. The hills and mountains of this area open up endless opportunities for skiing and snowboarding.

The mountainous part of the Subpolar Urals located on the territory of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area is very beautiful. The highest peaks of the Ural Mountains are situated here.

Being the highest point of the whole Urals, Mount Narodnaya (1,895 m), also known as Naroda and Poenurr and translated as People's Mountain is territorially situated in the Subpolar Urals, on the border of the Yugra Area and the Komi Republic . It is the highest point in European Russia outside the Caucasus. This leads to its large topographic prominence of 1,772 metres (5,814 ft).

The top of the mountain is half a kilometre from the border towards Yugra. As for the name of the mountain, scientists could not come to a common opinion for a long time, so there are two versions. According to one version, in the Soviet years, an expedition of pioneers gave the mountain a name in honour of the Soviet people - Narodnaya (the stress is on the second syllable). According to the other version, even before the arrival of the first Soviet tourists, the peak was named after the River Naroda (the stress is on the first syllable) flowing at the foot of the mountain. The Nenets peoples called the River Naroda Naro, which means a thicket or a dense forest, and the Mansi peoples called it Poengurr or Poen-urr, which translates as the top, or head. The maps used to refer to it as Mount Naroda or Mount Naroda-Iz. Nowadays, it appears everywhere as Narodnaya.

In the 1980s, someone set a bust of Lenin on the top of the mountain. Its remains can be found there to this day. There is one more symbolic relic there – some Orthodox believers erected a worship cross on top of Mount Narodnaya after a Procession of the Cross.

The slopes of the mountain are steeper in the north-east and south-west and there are many steep rocks on them. The south-eastern and northern parts of the mountain are more gentle but they are also covered with scree. Be vigilant and careful when climbing! On the slopes of the mountain, there are many not only boulders but also caverns filled with clear water as well as ice. There are glaciers and snowfields. From the north-eastern part of the mountain, you can observe Lake Blue near which tourists and travellers like to make bivouacs.

Mesmerizing with its beauty and inaccessibility, it attracts many tourists and fans of active recreation. This majestic mountain is quite remote from the settlements, so getting to it is not an easy task. The mountain is located in the Yugyd Va National Park , so it is necessary to register in advance and get a visit permit from the park administration. How to get to the park administration and get a permit, read the article on the Yugyd Va National Park .

Mountain Zaschita (1,808 m) is the second-highest peak in the Ural Mountains, after Mount Narodnaya . Mysteriously, the name of the mountain, which roughly translates as Defense or Protection Mount, does not correlate in any way with the Mansi names of the nearby mountains and rivers. The origin of the name is unknown. There are some speculations but we will consider just one of them. On the map of the Northern Urals which was made by the Hungarian researcher Reguli the closest peak to Mount Narodnaya was called gnetying olu. Its location coincides with that of the present-day Mount Zaschita . The name gnetying olu in the Mansi can be deciphered as a mountain on which there is some help from ice. The mountain is believed to protect deer grazing on glaciers from mosquitoes. So, early topographers called the mountain more briefly – Mount Defense. Indeed, the slopes of this mountain are covered with a lot of snow and glaciers (the Yugra, Naroda, Kosyu, Hobyu glaciers and others). And it is here that the Mansi shepherds bring their deer which can rest on glaciers and snow. Summarizing all the above, we can say that Zaschita Mount is to some extent protection for deer from mosquitoes. The very name Zaschita appeared on maps with the beginning of hiking tours in the Subpolar Urals.

Mount Neroyka (1,645 m) is 100 km from Neroyka village, the closest tourist base to this peak. In the 1950s, people who were engaged in quartz mining near the mountain worked and lived in this base. Later, a gravel road was built from the village of Saranpaul to the mountain for large-scale development of the quartz deposit. In recent years, the road has not been much used and is practically not cleaned from snow in winter. There has been a plant built 20 km down from the mountain for primary processing of quartz with the use of nanotechnologies. There is an annual big camping event near the mountain. It is organized by the Tourism Department of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. You can have a 1-hour helicopter ride to the mountain from the village of Saranpaul. Should you wish to fly from the city of Khanty-Mansiysk , be prepared to fly over the taiga for 2.5-3 hours.

Quite inquisitive tourists happened to discover, by a lucky chance, a Pyramid similar to that of Cheops but four times bigger. It is located on the territory of the Narodo-Ityinsky Ridge. The closest to the pyramid is the village of Saranpaul. The sizes of the found pyramid are as follows: the height is 774 m, in comparison to the Egyptian pyramid which is 147 m; the length of a lateral edge is 230 m whereas the Egyptian pyramid is 1 km. The pyramid is located precisely according to the cardinal directions, there is not a single degree deviation at that. The origin of the pyramid is unknown, scientists are still making assumptions. No traces of human activity were found near the pyramid. The only way to get here at this time is by helicopter.

Samarovskaya Mountain is another wonder that is baffling many people. It is dividing the city of Khanty-Mansiysk into northern and southern parts. Few now living residents know that in the old days the highest part of the modern city used to bear a plural name of the Samarovsky Mountains among which there were Mount Palenina, Komissarskaya, Miroslavskaya, Filinova, and Romanova. Originally, there was a village called Samarovo amidst these mountains. Until now, many issues bewilder both residents and scientists. How could a mountain form in the middle of the West Siberian Plain? What is inside it? Won't the weight of the buildings erected on the top of the mountain affect its height? The uniqueness of Samarovskaya Mountain is that it consists of numerous large stones, boulders, rocks that are absolutely foreign to this area. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the mountain’s origin.

The Yugra is very famous for its ski resorts, the main of which are:

• The Cedar Ravine ski resort (Surgut city, Naberezhny Ave. 39/1)
• Three Mountains (Trekhgorie) ski resort (30 km from Nizhnevartovsk, Ermakovsky settlement)
• Stone Cape (Kamenniy Mys) ski resort (near the city of Surgut)
• Pine Urman ski resort ( Khanty-Mansiysk , Sportivnaya Str., 24)

The far-away lands of the Yugra are the blessed sanctuaries for many animals as the area is rather hostile to a human There are reserves, natural parks, wildlife sanctuaries here that aim to protect the national treasures of the lands. Having visited these regions once, you would crave for coming back again and again to feel that unique sense of unity with nature, to forget about the urban fuss and and hustles whatsoever. The harsh but beautiful nature of this extraordinary area leaves an indelible trace in the soul of every person.

On the territory of the district there are 25 specially protected natural areas, the most famous of them are:

• The reserves are two: the Malaya Sosva Reserve and the Yugan Reserve, the latter was established in 1982 as the largest reserve of taiga landscapes. The purpose of the reserves was to study unobtrusively and carefully preserve the endemic flora and fauna without disturbing natural processes. Hunting and economic activities are prohibited here, which is important for the preservation of natural ecosystems.
• The natural parks are the Samarovsky Chugas Nature Park, the Siberian Sloping Hills (Uvaly), the Numto (also called Lake Numto), and the Kondinskie Lakes.

These reserves and natural parks offer tourists their own excursion programs to make visiting their territory much more enjoyable and educational.

The Samarovsky Chugas Nature Park is located in the center of Khanty-Mansiysk , on a small hill between the Ob and Irtysh rivers.

The territory of the Siberian Sloping Hills (Uvaly) natural park is 350 km away from the city of Khanty-Mansiysk . You can get there by helicopter or by plane. The office of the park is located at 7a Pionerskaya Street, Nizhnevartovsk.

The Kondinskie Lakes Natural Park is located 380 km from Khanty-Mansiysk . Half of the park is covered with swamps, but there is also a recreational area. There you can rest, swim, do some amateur fishing, picking berries (cowberries, cranberries) and mushrooms is permitted. There is only one independent walking route here, it runs for 3 km in the deep forest. It is a cool place for kids since the park is equipped with sports grounds, a pool and a small zoo where the kids can interact with brown bear cubs. What else, try the TaiPark, it is a rope course running at the height of 2.5 meters, having 15 stages, the full length is 125 meters. There is an opportunity to order water walking tours in the town of Sovetsky, which can be reached by train from Khanty-Mansiysk .

The Numto Nature Park is located almost in the center of the West Siberian Plain, in the Beloyarsk district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, 300 km from the city of Surgut and 200 km from the town of Beloyarsk. It is located on the border of Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. The administration of the park is located at 2, Beloyarsky micro-district, 4a. The territory of the natural park is a treasure trove of archaeological and ethnocultural monuments. As of today, there have been discovered 20 architectural monuments, including fortified and not fortified settlements, places of worship abandoned by the peoples who lived here from the Stone Age to almost the present day. Researchers have also found 65 monuments of ethnic value, the main of which are worship objects, sacred places and cemeteries.

The Malaya Sosva Reserve includes several subordinated territories and sanctuaries, including Lake Ranghe-Tour. The reserve offers a 4-km walking guided route that gets the visitors introduced to the typical features and characteristics of flora and fauna of the region. The route is called Bear Trail and you can spot bears there (don’t come close though, we’ve already written how to behave if you meet a bear in the wild). Also, you will see the River Malaya Sosva, some marshes, ancient cultural monuments and other nice sights. Permission to visit the reserve can be obtained from the administration of the reserve at Lenina Str. 46, town Sovetskiy.

As to the Yugan Nature Reserve , it is inaccessible to common hikers who are afraid of flying since there are no roads to it. The only way to get there is taking a helicopter ride. You also must obtain a permit in the administration of the reserve, go accompanied by employees of the reserve, and only on special transport of the reserve (motorboat, snowmobile). The central manor of the Reserve and the administration are located in the village of Ugut. To get to this village, you should first go to the town of Surgut, then go to the town of Pyt-Yakh, and from it there is a road to the village of Ugut. It is about 100 km from Ugut to the southern border of the reserve i, and another 25 km to the nearest cordon. The administration works from Monday to Friday. You can request a permit via mail at [email protected] , order a guided tour at [email protected]

The Yugra lands are heaven for water sports aficionados. They can have some awesome fishing or go rafting along such rivers as: the river Naroda, the Deep Sabun, etc.

The Naroda River is 140 km long. It is the left tributary of the Manya River located in the Ob River basin. The river has its origin on the south-western slope of Mount Narodnaya . It is a mountain-taiga river with rapids, swifts, numerous rolls, which attracts interest among water tourists. However, it is usually not rafted very often.

The Deep Sabun River flows through the territory of the Siberian Sloping Hills Nature Park. The park has developed multi-day water routes. It is possible to raft along the river in summer and to go skiing along it in winter.

The Kondinskie Lakes are a system of lakes along the left bank of the Konda River. The largest lake is the Arantur, with pine forests on the northern side and sandy beaches well equipped for a nice relaxing me-time. The water heats up well in summer. The small river Okunevaya and the river Maly Akh flow into the lake. The Maly Akh comes in on the west side and connects lake Arantur with Lake Pon-Tour. This lake is the richest in fish, and there is also a parking lot for fishermen here. The streams connect Pon-Tour with small lakes Krugloe and Lopukhovoye. When you look at Lopukhovoe lake, you feel as if you have found yourself in a fabulous place: more than half of its surface is covered with white lilies, as well as yellow flowers of the water-beans. Then the river Big Akh, which flows into the river Konda, connects all the lakes into a single system. Along the river there are many archeological monuments such as forts and settlements which have paths to them. The southernmost lake of the park is Ranghe-Tour.

Yugra is not the easiest destination and not the most accessible, but the effort is well worth it. You should first get to the capital of Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area – the city of Khanty-Mansiysk either by air or by train.

Khanty-Mansiysk is based on the premises of the former village Samarovo founded in 1582. It used to be the territory of the Khanty people and a pit stop for coachmen who rode their wagons across the country. The village was founded by Russian Count Samara, thus the name Samarovo. The modern city actually began to develop in 1930 because amidst the Siberian taiga there finally started to appear stone houses on the high bank of the Irtysh River. In 1940, the village was renamed into Khanty-Mansiysk by the name of the peoples living on this territory – the Khanty and the Mansi, and in 1950 it received the status of a town.

The city has several attractions. Mount Samarovskaya is probably the biggest natural and scientific wonder. It divides the city in two parts and causes many concerns for urban developers who always wonder whether this mountain can move making the buildings slide or even sink in.

Another beauty is the century-old cedar grove that is within the city limits. The grove is a part of the natural park Samarovsky Chugas. The word chugas in the language of the Khanty means a lonely hill in the low river floodplain.

The park is one of the main attractions of the city, it hosts an open-air ethnographic museum called the Torum Maa, a cultural and tourist complex called Archaeopark, a biathlon center. Kids and adults, nature lovers and fans of culture love this place dearly.

A memorial sign to Yugra's discoverers is installed on top of the Samarovsky Chugas. It is a tall stele pyramid divided into three portions. On the lower level, there is a restaurant, on the second level is a small museum, and on the third level there is an observation deck, 40 m above the ground, with a magnificent view of the Irtysh River and the river port. The pyramid is decorated by the bas-relief depicting the discoverers of the region, from the 16th-century Count Samara to the geologists of the 20th century.

Another trademark of Khanty-Mansiysk is the State Museum of Nature and Man. The museum hosts a gallery and a workshop of a famous artist G. Rayshev.

The city has a lot of small monuments generously spread around the city. There is the Khanty family resting on a camp, this monument is near the airport building. You can take a pic at the Golden Tambourine located at the intersection of Gagarin Street and Mira Street. Connoisseurs of culture should also visit the Sun – the Theatre of Ob-Ugrian Peoples, it is the world's first professional theatre of Khanty and Mansi peoples. And if you are travelling with kids, the Khanty-Mansiysk Puppet Theatre is a must-visit. In the period from May to October, you can take a boat ride to the confluence of two rivers – the Ob and the Irtysh. Yugra Service Co. operates such cruises, you can find more information locally at their address Tobolsk Trakt street 4, Khanty-Mansiysk .

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