It was one of the worst maritime disasters in British waters and a tragedy that hit every family on a Scottish island.

The Iolaire disaster saw more than 200 men lose their lives just a mile from home as the ship sank after crashing into rocks off the Isle of Lewis on New Year's Day 1919.

The death of the sailors - who were returning home from the First World War - left a lasting impact on the close-knit community and now, 100 years on, hundreds have gathered to mark the anniversary of the catastrophe.

Descendants of those who lost their lives were joined by Prince Charles and Nicola Sturgeon at a commemorative service in Stornoway, where wreaths were laid at the town's HMY Iolaire Memorial.

One of those attending the service, Kathreen Hunter, lost her grandfather Norman MacLeod in the disaster. He was just 36 when he perished just a few yards offshore.

The former fisherman of Arnol, Lewis, left behind his wife and two young sons.

Mrs Hunter's father John MacLeod would never talk about losing his parent before his first birthday, often shrugging questions off by saying he could not remember.

However, he did pen a poem in Gaelic - The War Widow - describing how his mother would every year wash the uniform his father was dressed in when he was found on the shore.

The 62-year-old retired teacher of Inverness said: "It was just so raw and too sore for him to speak about.

"The hardship they went through, the very little support - no counselling."

HMY Iolaire left the port of the Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland late on the evening of Hogmanay 1918.

At around 2.30am on New Year's Day she began to struggle in high winds and crashed into rocks known as The Beasts of Holm just a mile away from the safety of Stornoway harbour.

A total of 201 servicemen lost their lives and around a third of the men were never recovered from the sea. Only 82 survived.

Sharon Smith's great-uncle Malcolm Thomson died in the disaster aged 27, but he was never supposed to be on the doomed ship.

The able seaman was due to head back on an earlier sailing, but had bumped into two friends from the island's small community of Swainbost.

Having not seen each other for four years, he decided to return home with them on the HMY Iolaire.

Ms Smith said: "They were coming home at the end of the First World War, they were coming home in time for New Year celebrations, there was so much joy and happiness among that.

"For them to lose their lives so close to home, in such tragic circumstances, had a tremendous affect on the island.

"It was almost like a blanket of grief had covered the island."

But the 44-year-old nurse, of Stornoway, believes the community has been able to build something positive out of the tragedy.

She added: "It's brought people closer together, made us appreciate our family and look into our family history.

"I feel closer to him now, he's part of my family.

"I never met him, I don't know him personally. But on the other hand I feel so close to him now."

Another relative, Ruairidh Moir, 29, is the same age his great-great uncle Kenneth Campbell was when he perished at sea.

He was one of seven brothers who fought in the war, in which two died, and fought from 1914 to 1918.

Mr Moir said his great-great grandmother received a letter from the king saying she could pick one of her children to be removed from duty to go back home to Tolsta, Lewis.

She decided not to make that decision and they remained in the fight.

He said: "It's just beyond comprehension, that's why it's important - for their sake and our sake - that we don't let it go unnoticed.

"200 men out of a fragile island community - if they had made it, what would the island have been now?"