Hyskeir (Oigh Sgeir) Lighthouse is situated on rocks approximately five miles south west of Canna and eight miles west of the island of Rum in the Inner Hebrides.
History
The Lighthouse was established in 1904 to light the southern end of the Minch and to warn shipping off Mills Rocks, Canna Island and the rock on which the lighthouse is built. It was engineered by David A and Charles Stevenson.
Both Hyskeir and Canna are low lying and prior to the establishment of the light, difficult to observe.
David A Stevenson estimated the cost at £15,134 and the work was given to the Oban contractor Messrs D & J MacDougall. The optics were supplied by Chance Brothers costing £821, the lanterns and parapet by Dove and Co., Edinburgh £1,275.
The Lighthouse Keepers’ families lived in Oban and the Keepers were flown from there to the lighthouse by helicopter for their month of duty.
Although the keepers were taken to and from the rock by helicopter, heavy items such as oil and equipment had to be landed by the lighthouse vessel PHAROS. During the winter of 1980, bad weather prevented the lighthouse vessel FINGAL from delivering ten barrels of oil on a number of occasions between September and January. When the supplies were finally landed, only two days’ supply of oil was left at the station.
The light was automated in March 1997.