Thousands of people were thrilled by a spectacular air show by the Red Arrows at Stornoway yesterday.
The world famous aerobatic display team added some sparkle to the celebrations for the 150th year anniversary of Stornoway Port Authority.
For more than 20 minutes, the Red Arrows aerobatic team blazed colourful smoke trails of red, blue and white as they soared and roared with a series of meticulously planned stunts over the port’s outer harbour.
Flying in extremely close formation at top speed the aircraft – boasting their new Union flag-inspired tailfin design – initially wowed the vast crowd by zipping in from behind with a introductory flypast for the people at the port’s ferry terminal.
Hundreds of other spectators lined up at the waterfront by Newton and at Goat Island.
Unseasonably dull weather threatened to spoil the event, but the pilots of the nine-strong fleet altered their display to take account of the low cloud base.
Kirsty Smith of Plasterfield, Lewis, and her 10-year-old daughter, Isles and Freya, eight, were hugely impressed.
She said: “It was amazing – really, really good. It was very well worthwhile coming to see.
“The display was brilliant. We loved the colours and the noise made the kids’ ears pop.”
Three-year-old Murray Smith, of Stornoway, said he had to cover his ears because the planes were “loud and noisy.”
He was thrilled by the “planes going upside down in the sky.”
His mum, Louise said the display was “really good and very colourful.”
Aerobatic pilot, squadron leader David Montenegro said the weather was better than expected.
He added the performance arena over the harbour area, with sea surrounded by hills, had its “challenges” for the team, which last visited the Western Isles in 2001.
Murdo Murray, chairman of Stornoway Port Authority, said the day was “very significant” as it marks 150 years since first harbour board was set up to operate Stornoway port.
He said: “It’s a really fantastic event – to have such a display makes it all the more significant.”
He added: “The harbour has been vitally important to the island ever since it came into existence.
“It is a huge generator for the economy – from the herring industry to latterly the oil industry.”
He added: “Now there’s a new era arriving. We are looking at the leisure sector, at fishing and cruise liners and trying to expand on that to make the harbour a real economic gateway to the islands.”