What was done
The authors describe and examine the sedimentary characteristics of a series of Late Holocene coastal windstorm deposits found on the Scottish Outer Hebrides, an island chain that extends across the latitudinal range 56-58°N.  These deposits form part of the landward edges of coastal sand accumulations that are intercalated with peat, the radiocarbon dating of which is used to construct a local chronology of the windstorms.

What was learned
Dawson et al. say their data indicate that "the majority of the sand units were produced during episodes of climate deterioration both prior to and after the well-known period of Medieval warmth (MWP)."  They also note that "the episodes of sand blow indicated by the deposits may reflect periods of increased cyclogenesis in the Atlantic associated with increased sea ice cover and an increase in the thermal gradient across the North Atlantic region."  In addition, they report that "dated inferred sand drift episodes across Europe show synchroneity with increased sand mobilization in SW France, NE England, SW Ireland and the Outer Hebrides, implying a regional response to storminess with increased sand invasion during the cool periods of the LIA [Little Ice Age]," citing the corroborative studies of Lamb (1995), Wintle et al. (1998), Gilbertson et al. (1999) and Wilson et al. (2001).

What it means
Throughout a vast region of the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent Europe, storminess and wind strength have been inversely related to mean global air temperature over most of the past two millennia, with the most frequent and intense events occurring both prior to and following the Medieval Warm Period.  Consequently, the climate-alarmist claim that Europe will experience more intense and frequent windstorms if air temperatures continue to rise fails to resonate with reality.

References
Gilbertson, D.D., Schwenninger, J.L., Kemp, R.A. and Rhodes, E.J.  1999.  Sand-drift and soil formation along an exposed North Atlantic coastline: 14,000 years of diverse geomorphological, climatic and human impacts.  Journal of Archaeological Science 26: 439-469.

Lamb, H.H.  1995.  Climate, History and the Modern World.  Routledge, London, UK.

Wilson, P., Orford, J.D., Knight, J., Bradley, S.M. and Wintle, A.G.  2001.  Late Holocene (post-4000 yrs BP) coastal development in Northumberland, northeast England.  The Holocene 11: 215-229.

Wintle, A.G., Clarke, M.L., Musson, F.M., Orford, J.D. and Devoy, R.J.N.  1998.  Luminescence dating of recent dune formation on Inch Spit, Dingle Bay, southwest Ireland.  The Holocene 8: 331-339.