I was just over a month shy of my 5th birthday at the time. We lived in Garrabost in Lewis at the time and my mother was caught in the town across the braighe causeway and we couldn't get to her, despite my fathers attempts. Our house was a mid 20th century sort of cottage and I remember the draft rattled all the doors. The dry stone wall in the back garden was torn down and trees were ripped from their roots. Our primary school was damaged by debris and fallen trees and you can still see some of those fallen trees in the castle grounds. A family lost their lives in that storm attempting to cross a land bridge. Their youngest child would have been in my year at the same secondary school.
