Remembering tragic loss of the crew of Scottish fishing boat Solway Harvester twenty years ago

It was on the 10th January 2000 that the fishing boat Solway Harvester set out from Kirkcudbright (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Chuithbeirt) in south-west Scotland. They fished off the Manx coast until the following day 11th January and planned to set sail home. Due to the stormy conditions they sought refuge in the shelter of Ramsey Bay (Manx: Baie Rhumsaa) on the northeast coast of the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin). Facing gale force winds of Force 9 nothing further was heard of the vessel until an emergency beacon was picked up later that day. 

The search and rescue mission organised included Manx lifeboats from Ramsey (Rhumsaa), Port St Mary (Purt le Moirrey) and Douglas (Doolish) as well as the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company ferry Ben-My-Chree. They, along with other boats and aircraft from Prestwick in Scotland and Anglesey (Ynys Môn) in Wales and also a helicopter from the Irish Air Corps (Irish: an tAerchór) searched for the Solway Harvester. The next day two unopened lifeboats from the vessel were found.

On 15th January 2000 the wreck of the Solway Harvester was found 11 miles (18 km) from the Manx coast in water 115 feet (35 m) deep. The bodies of the seven crew members two as young as 17 were on board. At the time there was controversy as the British Government refused to fund the rescue operation and recovery of the crew. In the end and to its great credit the Manx Government (Isle of Man is not part of the United kingdom) stepped in and funded the One Million Pound salvage operation. That failure on the part of the British authorities met with strong criticism at the time. Kirkcudbright Community Council met in February 2000 and from the Scottish crews home area gave thanks to the Manx Government whilst criticising the response from the United Kingdom and the Scottish Executive which at the time was under Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition control.

It was a sad day when the bodies of the crew of Solway Harvester were recovered on 4 February 2000. On board were Skipper Andrew Mills (known as Craig), 29, his brother Robin Mills, 33, their cousin David Mills, 18, Martin Milligan, 26, John Murphy, 22, David Lyons, 17, and Wesley Jolly, 17. Grief-stricken relatives and officials waited as the Scottish and Manx flag draped container brought the bodies ashore to the Isle of Man’s Douglas Harbour. A lone piper in full Highland dress played Amazing Grace and Flower of Scotland. The crew were later returned to their native Scotland for burial.

In July 2013 Scotland's then First Minister laid a wreath on the granite monument marking the Solway Harvester tragedy when visiting the Isle of Man. Paying tribute to the crew members the Scottish First Minister said:

"The granite memorial here on the Isle of Man is a lasting tribute to the fishermen and it was created from a bollard used to tie up boats at Isle of Whithorn harbour. It signifies the close bond between Scotland, the Isle of Man and all the fishing communities around the Irish Sea."