The Flannan Isles Lighthouse is situated on the highest point of Eilean Mòr, in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland.
The Flannan Isles, named after St Flann, consist of seven rocky, uninhabited islands called the Seven Hunters. Eilean Mòr had two ruined habitations which were referred to by the Ancient Monuments Commission (now Historic Environment Scotland) as The Bothies of the Clan McPhail. One of these ruins appears to have been a chapel, and the other a dwelling.
History
1896: Sanction was received from the Board of Trade for the construction of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse.
1899: On 7 December, construction commenced. The engineer was David Alan Stevenson and building works were carried out by George Lawson of Rutherglen. The final cost of the lighthouse buildings, landing places, and stairs on Eilean Mòr was £6,914.
Dwelling houses for the lightkeepers’ families were built at the shore station in Breasclete on the Isle of Lewis at a cost of £3,526. Breascelete was chosen as the site for the shore station due to its close proximity to Loch Roag, a sea loch. This provided a safe anchorage and shelter for the lighthouse tender when taking on or putting ashore the lightkeepers, or when bad weather made it impossible to carry out the relief on the due date.
As there was no radio communication between the Flannans and Lewis at that time, a gamekeeper, Roderick MacKenzie, was appointed as observer to the light and was paid £8 per annum. MacKenzie’s duties involved watching for signals from the lighthouse 18 miles northwest of his vantage point at Gallan Head, Lewis, and to report any failure in the exhibition of the light. Such failures were reported to the head office in Edinburgh by telegram so that the necessary steps could be repairs could be carried out as soon as possible.
1900: The three Flannan Isles lightkeepers disappeared under mysterious circumstances. On 15 December, the crew of a passing steamship noted that the light was not in operation, despite poor weather conditions. This information was relayed to the Northern Lighthouse Board on 18 December, though the relief vessel was unable to land at Eilean Mòr until 26 December. A telegram was sent to the Northern Lighthouse Board on the same date, stating:
A dreadful accident has happened at the Flannans. The three keepers, Ducat, Marshall and the Occasional have disappeared from the Island… The clocks were stopped and other signs indicated that the accident must have happened about a week ago. Poor fellows they must have been blown over the cliffs or drowned trying to secure a crane.
1971: The Flannan Isles Lighthouse remained a manned Station until 28 September 1971, on which date it was demanned and became a Major Automatic Light. Today the Flannan Isles Lighthouse receives an annual inspection and maintenance visit from NLV PHAROS.
Flannan Isle
“Though three men dwell on Flannan Isle
To keep the lamp alight,
As we steer’d under the lee, we caught
No glimmer through the night.
A passing ship at dawn had brought
The news: and quickly we set sail,
To find out what strange thing might ail
The keepers of the deep-sea light.
The winer day broke blue and bright
With glancing sun and glancing spray
While o’er the swell our boat made way,
As gallant as a gull in flight.
Wilfrid Wilson Gibson