Just watched a programme on Islay and WW1 and found out about a story I'd not known anything about, quite possibly because I was quite young when we had a long holiday on the island and more recent visits have been short and for another purpose.
The programme is Islay: For those in Peril and details the sinking in a few short months of two troopships and what the islanders did. I think it was on BBC Scotland only tonight but it will be on iPlayer. This programme is 30 minutes but there's a longer version with subtitles on BBC Alba.
------------- " When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
Despite two visits I have still to get to the American Monument.
On each occasion I have tried the weather hasn't been as it was in the (excellent) programme - it was far more typical west coast weather of high winds and sideways rain.
When its blowing a gale and throwing it down the best place is the pub or a distillery.
I've worked on Islay & hadn't been aware either, to my shame.
It was very moving. Especially touched that one American family chose to leave their son where the Ileach buried him, when the other men were exhumed & taken back to USA after the war. Maybe they'd visited & heard the geese flying back home to roost, and realised the place has a special atmosphere.