The body of a man recovered following a report of a missing fishing vessel off the coast of the Isle of Lewis has been identified as 49-year-old Douglas Craigie.
He was part of the crew of the fishing boat Kilda last known to have been operating close to the Port of Ness in the north of the island.
His two crewmates, 40-year-old Norman Murray, who is known as Tam, and Murdo Morrison, 23, remain unaccounted for. They are being treated as missing people.
All three men are local to the Isle of Lewis.
Their vessel, Kilda, also remains unaccounted for and searches remain ongoing.
The boat is believed to have sailed from Brevig on Broadbay around 7.30am on Tuesday, 13 October before travelling to the Port of Ness area to work.
The vessel Kilda appears to be registered in Peterhead, it’s 8.1m long, weighs just over 4 tons, was built in 2012, and has a licence for shellfishing.
It was reported overdue after failing to return during Tuesday evening and the incident was reported to police around 11.35pm.
The body of Mr Craigie was recovered in the area around 2.45am on Wednesday, 14 October, 2026.
Chief Inspector Ross McCartney, local area commander for the Western Isles, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident.
“The families of all three men involved are being provided with specialist support as our searches continue. We would ask that the privacy of the families of all three men are respected at this difficult time.
“We are working closely with the HM Coastguard and RNLI to search for the vessel and the two missing men
“We know that the local community will be keen to help in any way they can. However, conditions are very challenging and I would urge people not to put themselves at any risk. Please do not attempt to carry out searches in areas which put you at risk of harm.
“Instead, if you believe you may have any information which could assist emergency services then please call 101 quoting reference 3575 of 13 October.
“A police presence will remain in the Port of Ness area and if you have any concerns or information then I would urge you to speak to one of our officers.”
The Royal National Mòd in Glasgow showed a mark of respect for the fishing boat tragedy with a minute’s silence at 9am today (Thursday 15 October).
The Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail organisers issued a statement, saying: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with everyone affected by yesterday's tragedy on the Isle of Lewis.
"As a mark of respect, a one-minute silence will be observed at 9 am on Thursday ahead of the day's competitions starting."
The minute’s silence was observed at the Royal Concert Hall, City of Glasgow College, and National Piping Centre, where many of the participants and audience members are from Lewis.
First Minister John Swinney also offered his sympathy, posting on X (formerly Twitter): "This is deeply distressing news. My heart goes out to the families of the three fishermen in Ness, and the communities on the Isle of Lewis."
Tributes were also aid in the House of Commons. Torcuil Crichton, MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, said that in the Commons this morning the Leader of The House , the Rt Hon Alan Campbell and colleagues joined me in expressing deep condolences to the families and communities affected by this week’s fishing tragedy. "I would also like to pay tribute and thanks to all agencies and individuals involved in the ongoing search." The MP drew attention to the losses suffered by the communities of Ness, Barvas and Carloway.
(The location on Lewis has been updated in this report following confusion about the national information issued by Police Scotland.)
