▁or al ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Out ▁S ker ries ▁people , ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁running ▁before ▁a ▁sou ther ly ▁g ale ▁when ▁it ▁struck . ▁The ▁night ▁was ▁dark ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁four ▁sail ors ▁in ▁the ▁shr oud s ▁watching ▁for ▁land , ▁but ▁break ers ▁appeared ▁suddenly ▁under ▁the ▁bow ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁and ▁it ▁struck ▁St ou ra ▁Stack ▁in ▁the ▁Out ▁S ker ries ▁before ▁any ▁warning ▁could ▁be ▁given . ▁There ▁were ▁three ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁the ▁w reck . ▁These ▁were ▁look outs ▁who ▁were ▁thrown ▁onto ▁the ▁Stack ▁from ▁the ▁shr oud s . ▁ ▁The ▁w reck ▁broke ▁up ▁quickly . ▁According ▁to ▁local ▁tradition ▁the ▁vessel ▁broke ▁her ▁back ▁on ▁St ou ra ▁Stack ▁and ▁dr ift ed ▁north ▁into ▁the ▁Vo e . ▁From ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁exc av ated ▁ball ast ▁br icks , ▁anch ors ▁and ▁can non ▁it ▁seems ▁that ▁the ▁bottom ▁was ▁torn ▁open ▁on ▁the ▁Stack . ▁Poss ibly ▁only ▁the ▁stern ▁section ▁dr ift ed ▁north ▁into ▁the ▁South ▁M outh ▁before ▁breaking ▁apart , ▁but ▁as ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁this ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁proved . ▁ ▁Early ▁salv age ▁efforts ▁ ▁The ▁island ers ▁salv aged ▁much ▁material , ▁but ▁agents ▁of ▁William ▁Douglas , ▁ 9 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁Mort on ▁seized ▁much ▁of ▁what ▁they ▁had ▁recovered ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁Vice - Ad mir al ▁of ▁Or k ney ▁and ▁Sh et land . ▁King