Our Lady of the Isles was consecrated by Bishop Kenneth Grant on the 15th August 1958 on South Uist.
Our Lady of the Isles (Bana Thighearna nan Eilean) was commissioned shortly after the Ministry of Defense proposed a missile testing range be constructed.
This caused concern it would destroy much of the island's way of life, culture and language. Resistance to the proposals was led by Canon John Morrison, the local parish priest, who became known as “Father Rocket” The statue was intended to be both an expression of the devotion of the people of South Uist to the Blessed Virgin Mary but was also intended to be a public and permanent reminder to 'strangers' that they were entering a 'different' world.
A site was chosen where the granite Madonna and Child would overlook much of the island – in particular the proposed military base. People of all denominations supported the project through fundraising and donating their labour to construct the road and the foundations for the 40-tonne statue. Our Lady of the Isles was completed in 1957 and dedicated in 1958
In April 1959 the Ministry of Defence announced their rocket range proposal had been drastically scaled down. It was to be a missile testing and firing range with mostly visiting military personnel. There would be no ‘new’ town and no removal of people. There’s a small military presence on the island to this day. Who knows how things might have turned out if Father Rocket hadn’t been around?