The Annie Jane Disaster
The monument which stands over Vatersay west beach, commemorates the tragic shipwreck of the emigrant sailing ship the ‘Annie Jane’ which went on the rocks on this beach on 28th September 1853 with more than 400 people on board.
The ship left Liverpool on the 9th of September 1853 bound for Quebec. After having problems losing its mast, it still continued, but was unfortunate to be caught in an on-shore gale and wrecked.
The remains of the 350 men, women and children who lost their lives are interred here somewhere in two mass graves amongst the dunes. The exact location of the graves is unknown.
A very good website dedicated to the disaster can be found by clicking here
Click on the map to enlarge
