Eight crew airlifted to safety after vessel runs aground in stormy weather

Eight people have been airlifted to safety after their cargo vessel ran aground on rocks in stormy weather.

The alarm was raised at around 1.50am on Monday when the vessel got into difficulty about six miles north-west of Skye.

The Russian crew were rescued by the Stornoway coastguard helicopter while Portree lifeboat, a coastguard tug and the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel Pharos which was in the area also went to the scene.

The crew members were flown to Stornoway on Lewis and were said to be safe and well.

Stornoway coastguard said weather conditions were “challenging” and stormy with high seas at the time of the rescue.

The 90-metre cargo vessel is registered in Nassau in the Bahamas.