Following on from our Bardsey trip, I had just one lighthouse left in North Wales left to bag. While there last week it seemed like the perfect opportunity to resolve this.
I had visited Amlwch on my original lighthouse tour back in 2012, but had failed to spot the lighthouse while there. I also recall from my first visit discovering how Amlwch is pronounced. I had called ahead to the campsite I was planning on stopping at that night. The lady asked what time I would be arriving and I said that I wasn’t sure. When she asked where I was coming from I decided the safest option was to spell out the place name rather than attempt to pronounce it (surely incorrectly). She then informed me it was pronounced “Am-look”, which makes sense when you realise that “w” tends to sound like “u” in Welsh pronunciation. Handy to know!
The view of the lighthouse building from the inner harbour
Anyway, having done some more research since my first visit I had discovered that the reason I’d probably not seen the lighthouse was because from a couple of angles it doesn’t have a very “lighthouse look” about it, just a square building at the end of one of the piers.
Equipped with this additional knowledge we decided to spend a day on Anglesey. Of course a trip to Anglesey would not be complete without a visit to South Stack. We’ve been a few times now, but my parents hadn’t and it was a chance for my dad and our son to get inside and climb to the top. I’ve covered South Stack in previous posts (first visit in 2012, later visit in 2012 and 2015). so won’t go into detail again here.
Finding the lighthouse in Amlwch was straightforward in the end. It sits happily at the end of a very accessible pier. The tower was constructed in 1853 with the lantern added later. This tower is believed to have replaced one dating back to 1817.
Amlwch lighthouse from the end of the pier
Amlwch was a busy harbour back in the day with large amounts of copper being exported from the nearby mines. Local “hobblers” (retired seafarers) were charged with looking out from the watchtower and towing in any ships coming into the harbour. So there was an obvious need for an aid to navigation in Amlwch.
The lighthouse tower is now home to GeoMôn, a museum centred on the geological history of the area. Amlwch might not be the most exciting of places to visit, but it was good to finally see the lighthouse.
We also made the most of our visit to the area by stopping off to walk around the old copper mine. It’s a very impressive place and, although man-made, makes for some wonderful pictures. I certainly can’t complain too much about anything man-made. I couldn’t get away with having such an appreciation of lighthouses if I did! 🙂
There aren’t too many Welsh islands with lighthouses left for us to visit. One of those that we’d never been in the right area for previously was Bardsey Island. We had booked a holiday in north Wales and we saw the opportunity to finally attempt to make it there.
A number of weeks ago I contacted Colin who operates the boat to Bardsey and enquired about booking. He was very quick to respond and seemed to understand that if we weren’t able to get out there on our first full day in Wales that we would like to attempt the following day and so on until we had got there. Colin’s boat departs from the end of the Llyn peninsula, which isn’t really an area you’d find yourself passing through!
Colin’s boat preparing to be pulled up the slipway
Colin said we were to call the evening before to check if the boat would be going so we called on the Friday evening a couple of weeks ago and, thanks to the amazing weather we have been having, conditions were 100% in our favour for the Saturday. We arrived in plenty of time and took the wander down to the small harbour. The harbour is very picturesque and after enjoying the views for a while we saw Colin’s yellow boat heading in. He has a great little set-up in place for pulling the boat onto a trailer and then dragging the trailer up the short slipway before passengers embark up a ladder onto the back of the boat. So we hopped on and then Colin reversed us back into the sea and off we went.
It was a fairly short crossing over to Bardsey. It’s a really interesting looking island from the sea, with the lighthouse sitting on the flat southern end of the island and the hill rising up from steep cliffs on the north east. The harbour was between the two so we could see exactly where we needed to go. Our son, who joined us on the trip along with my dad, decided we should head to the lighthouse first, so we followed the coast around to the distinctive red and white striped square building. On the way we were serenaded by the local seals who were in full voice!
Bardsey lighthouse
There looks to be some work currently going on at the lighthouse, in particular on the chimneys on the buildings within the compound. We sat and had lunch overlooking the lighthouse. My husband often says, in his own sceptical little way, that every lighthouse seems to be able to claim to be the “first” something or other. Bardsey lighthouse holds the accolade of being the tallest square tower in the UK! It stands at 30 metres and was built in 1821. In 2014 the rotating optic inside the lamp room was replaced with an LED light as part of Trinity House’s efforts to move away from “continuous running diesel stations”. This effort has now also been adopted by the Northern Lighthouse Board with lighthouses across Scotland slowly switching over to the more modern technology. I find it a little sad, particularly as the science behind the rotating optic was so advanced in its day and, for me, is a large part of the make-up of a lighthouse. However, it’s always onwards and upwards in the technology stakes. When the optic was replaced, the LED installed also saw a change from white light to red.
There is some really interesting information on the Bardsey.org website about the history of the lighthouse. A couple of points of particular note were that the lighthouse keepers were initially restricted from leaving the lighthouse buildings in the early years. Over time though they would gradually become part of the island community. Also, the island is renowned for its bird populations and before the optic was removed from the lighthouse a number of incidents were reported of birds being attracted to the light and colliding with the building. This has since been resolved, initially by an area near the lighthouse being floodlit to attract the birds there instead, and then with the red LED installed. Thirdly, the lighthouse supply boat was lost on its way across the Bardsey Sound in November 1822. Finally, the website has also informed me that one of Colin’s roles is maintenance of the lighthouse – if I’d known at the time…
The view to the south from part way up the island’s highest point
After we left the lighthouse our next priority was getting to the island high point. To get there we wandered through the village, but didn’t spend a great deal of time exploring it. The route up to the high point was easy going and the views as we got higher and higher opened up and, by the time we reached the top, we had 360 degrees of beauty. Among the views, just before reaching the top, were of the lighthouse and we spotted a beautiful-looking beach to the west of the island as it narrowed on the way to the lighthouse. Due to the gradient of the land we hadn’t noticed it at all as we had walked past.
We followed a different route back down to the village, coming out at the little building full of locally-produced items and some very welcome refreshments with an honesty box. We sat and enjoyed our drinks in the company of a couple of dogs and a few friendly goats before heading back to the harbour.
What a wonderful island Bardsey is. You get a real sense of community while there and even on the boat crossing. We were the only people on the boat who didn’t speak Welsh, but everyone was very friendly and Colin was a big help in advance of the day and on the day itself. A lovely day out 🙂
On the visit to the Monach Isles back in May we had a bonus lighthouse bag in the form of Haskeir lighthouse, which is located 13 kms west north west of North Uist. Although we knew we were visiting the island and that it was home to a lighthouse, we were both expecting a “flat-pack” affair. We were pleased, however, to discover that it was something more substantial. Not “Stevenson” substantial, but definitely worth visiting.
Haskeir lighthouse from the sea
As we arrived at the island and prepared to get into the tender a helicopter flew overhead and landed on the island. We wondered if we were going to get any trouble from a potential owner or anything, but the door opened, a couple of people got out, took pictures, hopped back in again and off they went. The helicopter was operated by PDG and was blue and orange in colour. These are the helicopters currently contracted by the Northern Lighthouse Board to transport their engineers around to service the lighthouses.
We weren’t sure whether we would manage to land on the island, but the conditions were in our favour once again. The landing wasn’t too bad and there was a bit of a clamber up some rocks and along a couple of narrow ledges before we reached the relatively flatter ground. The island reminded me very much of Eilean Chathastail on which the Eigg lighthouse (a very similar structure to this one) sits.
Haskeir lighthouse
Being careful not to disturb the birds we made our way up to the lighthouse. It’s what I have started referring to as a “halfway lighthouse”, a white, 9 metre, fibre glass structure with a white lantern. The lighthouse was constructed in 1997 and is one of only two buildings on the island, the other being an old bothy, which we didn’t see while we were there. As with those we’d visited the day before and that morning, it was a very peaceful place and definitely worth the effort of getting off of the boat.
The high point of the island was just next to the lighthouse, which is always pleasant and tends to keep everyone happy 🙂
After the success of the trip to the Flannan Isles in late May (see previous post), there was only one thing that could have made it the best week for bagging those hard-to-get to lighthouses so far and that was a successful trip to the Monach Islands. Which is exactly what occurred the following day!
The Monachs, also known as Heisker, is a group of six islands to the west of North Uist. Three of the islands (Ceann Ear, Shivinish and Ceann Ear) are connected by beaches at low tide. The main attraction for me though was reaching Shillay, which boasts not one, but two lighthouses.
The Mission Hall on Ceann Ear, which now houses an exhibition
However, we first stopped off at the three adjoining islands to make the most of the low tide time. The shallow waters that surround the island and the points available to land make it a bit tricky in anything but calm weather. This was why we have not been able to reach these islands for the past few years. Ceann Ear is home to the Mission Hall Exhibition, which is in the building formerly used as the islands’ place of worship. The exhibition contains really interesting details of life on the Monachs and the people who lived there, including the first and last residents of each of the croft houses. The content is, in part, based on the experiences of the last two men to leave the island.
More than 100 people lived on the islands in the past, mainly working in agriculture. However, the effects of the weather and erosion with the constantly shifting sands made it a very difficult place to live. A number of residents were driven away and the last two families left in 1942 when the lighthouse was discontinued. From 1945-49 the Morrison family attempted to resettle on Ceann Ear, but had to leave when no other families joined them. The school closed in 1942, although since the 1950s (when it was purchased by three Cambridge scholars) it has been used for nature study and research as well as, more recently, training in vocational skills in the repair of the building.
The exhibition features information about and pictures of the boat formerly known as the Pacaid (now known as Morning Star), which serviced the lighthouse as well as having a contract with Royal Mail to deliver the post to the islands.
The information on display at the exhibition relating to the loss of the lighthouse keepers
Interestingly, the exhibition contains a news article about two of the lighthouse keepers who, while heading across the stretch between Shillay and Ceann Iar, went missing in their rowing boat. Their boat was later seen floating upside down. There are no details of the outcome of this at the exhibition, but the Northern Lighthouse Board website gives a bit more information. The men went missing on 15th November 1936 while sailing across from Shillay to collect the post from Ceann Iar. The weather deteriorated while they were gone and their boat was driven off course on the return journey. Their bodies were washed up on one of the main islands on 7th and 8th December that year. It is strange to visit an island one day (Eilean Mor in the Flannan Isles) from which three lighthouse keepers went missing which resulted in such a well-known story turned into films etc. Then the following day visiting islands from which two keepers disappeared (albeit under slightly less mysterious circumstances) and very little is known of it.
Once we had finished on the main islands we set off for Shillay. The old red brick lighthouse had been visible from a fair distance away due to the flat islands and elevation of the building. We obviously needed to get closer though. Landing on the island wasn’t too bad, although seaweed-covered rocks made it a little tricky. Once landed it was just a very short stroll to the old lighthouse and the modern lighthouse next to it.
The Stevenson and modern lighthouses on the island of Shillay
Now, the lighthouses here tell a very interesting story. On initial inspection you might think that the old lighthouse was replaced by the modern “flat-pack” lighthouse, and in a way you might be correct, but there’s more to it than that. The old lighthouse, which stands at 133ft, was first lit in February 1864 and operated until 1942 when it ceased to be used during the War. Once the war had ended a decision was taken that the light was no longer required and therefore it was not relit.
In 1997, alongside the lighthouses on nearby Haskeir (more to follow in the next post on that one) and Gasker off of North Harris, the new lighthouse was erected. However, in 2005, it was agreed that the new lighthouse did not offer the focal range required to safely guides ships in the area. As a result it was decided that the old light should be reinstated. The old lighthouse has been in use again since 2008.
It is fascinating to see the changing face of lighthouse structures in one location. Of course the old Stevenson structure is significantly more impressive and there is really no competition when it comes to the architecture. I, for one, am delighted that the old building is still being used and showing that those Stevensons really did know what they were talking about! 🙂
For the past three years we have been holidaying in the Outer Hebrides, based on Lewis or Harris, with a chartered boat lined up and ready to take us, and a number of other hill/island baggers out to the Flannan Isles. All three times the trip has been cancelled due to poor sea conditions.
Eilean Mòr lighthouse
The Flannan Isles lie 32km west of Lewis and, as you can imagine, are subject to some pretty wild seas at times. Having spent so many years waiting to get out there, a part of me thought it might never happen. But then we saw the forecast for last week, which coincided with what had become our annual holiday to the Western Isles. Sunshine, virtually no wind. It was looking promising and even more so when we received a message to say that our boatman, Seumas Morrison of Sea Harris, was confident that we would make it out there. Landing, though, would be another matter entirely…
Of course, my priority was landing on Eilean Mòr, the main island, which boasts the famous lighthouse (more on that shortly). The group we were with, including Bob, were also interested in landing on the other seven islands (or lumps of rock, in some cases) that make up the Flannans. The sea looked nice and calm on the morning we headed out. None of us expected to be able to land on anything other than the main island, and we weren’t even sure about that one!
The east landing on Eilean Mòr
After an hour and 40 minutes on the boat we approached Eilean Mòr. Quite quickly we realised that a landing would definitely be possible, although we’d need to time it right to avoid getting wet feet. Very kindly, Bob had taken along a rope and he joined a couple of others as the first group to land, which then gave him time to set up a rope/handrail to help the rest of us. We arrived at the east landing, which very helpfully still has many of the steps intact. A clear path then took us up and in a big, sweeping route around to the lighthouse. The path followed what would have been the tracks (removed now), which would have taken the supplies up to the lighthouse. Apparently the interchange point between the tracks going down to the east landing and the west landing – which they would change manually – was known affectionately by the keepers as “Clapham Junction”.
Eilean Mòr lighthouse
The lighthouse sits beautifully at the top and there’s a real awe-inspiring feel about the place, possibly helped by its remoteness and how challenging it is to get to. Slightly off the path to the right as you walk up is the old chapel (known locally as the “dog kennel” apparently, which says a lot about its size!) As you walk up, the helipad is just behind the chapel.
On such a calm day, it was difficult to imagine how wild it could be out there, although the state of the west landing area suggests the severity with much of what was put in place for the keepers’ landings, including the steps, having been washed away.
It is easy, before visiting the island, to view it solely as “the one from which the keepers went missing”, but visiting the island gives you the opportunity to see it for what it actually is, which is a beautiful structure, built in (what must have been) a challenging location that now makes for a very special place. There is a feeling you get on these islands off of the west coast of Scotland that I haven’t experienced anywhere else – possibly, in part, due to the low number of visitors to these islands. Hyskeir is another example as is the Eigg lighthouse on a small island to the south east of Eigg. It’s isolation, but the beautiful kind that soothes the soul. It probably helps that I’ve been to them on calm, sunny days!
View of the west landing on Eilean Mòr
Descending down the path and back on to the boat went smoothly with our “handrail” in place! We then went on to get those more adventurous members of the group landed on all of the other islands, which I sat back, viewed the Eilean Mòr lighthouse from various angles and watched one of the boatman successfully catch numerous coalfish and some fair-sized pollock. It was all very relaxing.
Later in the week, we grabbed the opportunity to visit the exhibition and memorial dedicated to the three keepers lost from Eilean Mòr in 1900. For those not aware, on the 15th December a vessel passing by noted the light did not appear to be operating. When a boat was sent on 26th of that month (after being delayed by the weather from 20th) for the changing of the keepers, the first man onto the island reported that none of the three keepers were to be found. There are numerous stories about what could have occurred, including a poem that took a little artistic licence with the story. The most likely story, in my opinion, is that one or two of them got into some trouble at the edge of the island and the other went to help resulting in all three being lost to the sea. It’s a very sad story and the exhibition and memorial pay tribute to them.
The lighthouse exhibition in Breasclete
The exhibition, titled ‘Waiting for darkness to fall’, opened in April at Breasclete Community Hall and is open daily from 2-4pm. The community of Breasclete chose to develop the exhibition and memorial as it is in the village that the lighthouse’s shore station was based (it is still there now and stands out clearly from the rest of the buildings. A picture can be found in one of my previous posts). It features descriptions of the Flannan Isles, the building of the lighthouse, what is known about the disaster and the aftermath. A great deal of information has been pulled together for the exhibition, including excerpts about the island from various publications, weather reports from the time the keepers went missing, newspaper cuttings following the loss of the keepers, and pictures of the development, building and launch of the memorial, which is located just half a mile down the road, next to the water’s edge.
We spoke to a very friendly gentleman from Breasclete Community Association who was on hand to chat to visitors and he informed us that there are a number of potential plans in the pipeline to ensure the exhibition can remain permanent and expand upon it. He said that they hope to introduce visits out to see the island itself by boat or helicopter at some point and also look for a more permanent home for the exhibition. I had read online that there has been some talk about the community purchasing the shore station and using the building as a home to information about the lighthouse and the missing keepers.
The Flannan Memorial in Breasclete
Of course, we also had to visit the memorial. It really is a lovely piece of work. The artist James Crawford of Garynahine has carved the shape of the lighthouse out of sandstone and it sits on top of a Lewisian Gneiss rock shaped like Eilean Mòr. This stone is on a bed of smaller stones with beautiful sandstone block-work around the edge. A bronze wave appears to the left of the island, the wave heading straight for it. A plaque features on the front with the names of the three keepers: James Ducat, Thomas Marshall and Donald Macarthur. I’ve included a couple of extra pictures below of the finer details.
Having the opportunity to see both the island and lighthouse as well as the exhibition and memorial in the same week was a real treat. I feel very lucky to have been able to do so. 🙂
On a recent trip to the Isle of Wight to see my family we made the most of the fact that we were driving almost the full length of the UK by stopping off to bag one new lighthouse for me and re-visit another. Comparing these two gives some idea of the variety of places and structures that I have often encountered when visiting lighthouses. That’s part of the joy of it, that some lighthouses are fairly reserved and serve their purpose with minimal fuss, while others are shouted about and bellow “look at me”!
Beaulieu River Millennium Beacon
I’d been aware for a while that there was a lighthouse near Lepe Beach at Beaulieu, not far from Southampton, and we had a bit of time to spare before our ferry so decided to head over that way. The lighthouse here is one of the newest in the UK, having only been erected in 2000 (it’s official name is the Beaulieu River Millennium Beacon). A local committee was formed to address the concerns over navigating from the Solent into the river and they finally made the decision to build the lighthouse to resolve this, as well as marking the start of the new millennium. There is a detailed history of the lighthouse and why/how it was installed in an article originally published in the Leading Lights journal. The article can be viewed online here. It may not be the most majestic and inspiring of buildings, but it is much closer in appearance to a traditional lighthouse than many of those that have been installed in more recent years (particularly the “flat pack” lighthouses that can be seen in parts of Scotland now). The land that the lighthouse sits on is within the grounds of Lepe House, which is privately owned, meaning that access to the tower is restricted. So I had to settle for a view from the roadside and small pebble beach just in front of it. It’s close enough though.
Souter lighthouse
Our second lighthouse was not only in an entirely different part of England, but also completely different in appearance. I had first visited Souter lighthouse, to the south of South Shields, on my original tour in 2012 and then again while in the area a few years ago. Both times I’d managed to miss it while it was open though. This time, while heading back north, we made sure to pay a visit when we could get inside. It is a distinctive lighthouse from the outside and very well maintained. The fog horn, alongside the lighthouse, makes for a particularly dramatic picture.
Souter lighthouse was the first in the world to be purpose built to run on electricity. You can access the light room in Souter lighthouse at your own leisure, which was great for us as it meant our three-year-old could climb to the top, counting the steps, at his own speed. This was the first time he’d climbed up the final ladder to reach the light room and also the first time our daughter had been into the light room of a lighthouse.
Souter foghorn
It’s a great building to wander around. After the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1988, it was bought the The National Trust. They have clearly done a lot of work on it, including maintaining the rooms (and keepers cottage) as they would have been when it was a manned lighthouse.
The Leas is also a wonderful area for strolling around. As well as the stunning scenery, there are interpretive panels along the coastline describing how the area has changed over the years, with Whitburn Colliery and the associated creation and demise of the Marsden community. It really is an interesting place, which satisfies a number of interests. So, if you enjoy lighthouses, geology, history, nature, coastal walks, or just a fun day out for the family then it’s a perfect choice if you’re in the area 🙂
It’s been a long old winter, I think most people would agree. There’s nothing like a young baby and a bit of cold, wild weather to scupper any plans for enjoyable trips to lighthouses. That’s not necessarily the case for Bob though who managed to land on Bass Rock earlier in the year, and Inchkeith this weekend. I’m not jealous at all, not one bit!
Happily, Easter has arrived and, for us, that marks a change in our calendar with the first few trips away to exciting and obscure places throughout the UK. We spent last Easter on Orkney (see a previous blog) and the weather was awful and, when Bob mentioned doing the same again this year and I agreed, it started to look like it might just be the same again. After booking we also realised that it clashed with the very exciting event taking place down in Fraserburgh at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, where the old Kinnaird Head lighthouse was turned on for one night only and manned by former lightkeepers to mark the 20th anniversary of Fair Isle South lighthouse being the last to be automated. From what I’ve seen it looked like a wonderful night and, if I could have been split into two for one weekend only, my other half would definitely have been there for that!
Hoy Low lighthouse with the hills of Hoy in the background, as seen from the boat to Graemsay
Back to Orkney, our key priority this year was to spend a day on Graemsay and visit the two lighthouses (Hoy High and Hoy Low) for me and the island high point for Bob. The main challenge was faced with this trip was that it is only a passenger ferry that serves the island and the current timetable meant we had to choose between a two-hour rush around the island or a six-hour visit, and with two young kids in tow it wasn’t an easy decision to make. Our solution was to go with the longer option and hire bikes from Orkney Cycle Hire in Stromness along with a buggy for the kids to sit in to trail behind Bob. On a day that was due to be sunny, but cold we needed to make sure the kids didn’t freeze and the buggy offered the perfect solution.
Hoy High lighthouse
So, along we went with our bikes and buggy. My last venture in riding a bike was on our honeymoon back in 2013 when we cycled between the three lighthouses on Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland (see this post for the fun we had that day!) in the wind and rain. Fortunately we had more pleasant weather this time with some nice sunshine. We reached Hoy High lighthouse first, the tallest and most visible of the two. The 33 metre white tower was built, along with the Low lighthouse, in 1851 under the direction of Alan Stevenson. The two lighthouses operate together as leading lights, guiding ships safely through Hoy Sound. The tower is very in-keeping with the style of many of the other Scottish lighthouses. We didn’t get too close to this one as the former keepers’ buildings are now privately owned.
The road that joins the two lighthouses offer some stunning views (as do pretty much all of the island’s roads). One of the best has to be looking back to the lighthouse from the other end of the beautiful beach at Sandside. We chose this as the perfect spot for lunch a bit later on in the day, using one of the many picnic benches scattered across the island (there was a map at the pier on Graemsay showing where these picnic benches are located). The picnic benches were a nice touch and very welcoming for those of us visitors who do make the journey over (Graemsay doesn’t get the recognition, visitor numbers and attention it deserves in my opinion, but then maybe that’s what the residents of the island love about it).
Hoy Low lighthouse
We chose to leave the bikes and buggy at the top of the track down to the Hoy Low lighthouse and walk down. We were glad we did as it would have been a fairly bumpy ride for us all! I’d previously seen Hoy Low lighthouse from the Northlink ferry between Scrabster and Stromness and it was usually dwarfed by the hills on Hoy, which makes for a stunning picture. This lighthouse stands only 12 metres, but it’s a beautiful tower. Nearby there is an old World War II defence building. There are also remains of an old house next to the lighthouse compound, of which very little is still standing. The most obvious remains are of the fireplace, clearly very well built in its day! This lighthouse marked the first official lighthouse “bag” for our little girl at the age of 7 months (slightly later than our son who visited his first on the way home from hospital)! After reaching the bikes again we headed for the high point, which Bob bagged successfully. It’s good that our hobbies run in parallel on many occasions! We then stopped for lunch next to the beach and went for a bit of a walk. The very kind people at Orkney Cycle Hire had lent us some buckets and spades for the beach, but the chilly wind meant we didn’t get a chance to use them.
The wonderful waiting room at Graemsay Pier
We managed to complete our tour of the island and lunch within 4 hours and, being aware that the kids had been a bit cooped up, we decided to head back to the pier to see what the waiting room had to offer. I was concerned that it wouldn’t be open, but I needn’t have worried. Quite the opposite! Not only was it open, but the heating was on, which we were incredibly grateful for. Our son was particularly happy to have somewhere to play about and he adopted a small teddy bear from the honesty box – we knew we’d be buying it and taking it home when he started sweeping it across the floor!
All in all, we had a wonderful day on Graemsay. For those going to Orkney and interested in seeing an island that many others choose not to visit it is a must. I imagine the locals are quite fond of its quietness compared the neighbouring (and significantly bigger) island of Hoy. Living there would certainly involve some planning when it comes to such activities as the weekly shop, but I can imagine it’s easy enough once you get into the habit.
This trip involved a number of other activities on Orkney mainland, but no other lighthouses. Every time we leave Orkney we have always already started discussing how our next visit will pan out. We are planning, at some point in the not to distant future, a longer trip, taking in a number of the islands, including Sanday (for Start Point, which involves a bit of planning with the tide), North Ronaldsay and Westray. We also hope to organise trips to some of those that aren’t covered by the scheduled sailings.
Our next potential lighthouse-bagging trip will be next month when we head for the Western Isles again. This will be our latest attempt to reach the Monachs and the Flannans. We shall see what sea conditions await, so watch this space… 🙂
At the end of September we were fortunate to be in the Scottish central belt at the time the Edinburgh Doors Open weekend was happening. The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) tweeted to say that they would be welcoming the public into their George Street headquarters in Edinburgh for free and I was delighted when Bob suggested we should go. So, on the Sunday, we packed everything we needed for a day out with the kids and hopped on a train.
One of the beautiful paintings of the Bell Rock lighthouse – this one just inside the entrance
As we approached I recognised the small model of the Bell Rock lighthouse, which flashes every now and then. Inside there was a real sense of Bell Rock being their most treasured structure, with a number of paintings and pictures of it appearing throughout the building. Among the Bell Rock-related experiences we had there was wearing NLB caps while posing behind a big frame with Bell Rock lighthouse as the backdrop. We were also informed by one of the members of staff in the exhibition area of an experience she had while undertaking some training on the Bell Rock. They had been taken out to the lighthouse by the local boatman who regularly runs trips out there (and whom we had gone out with a few years ago). He clearly had some friends who were intrigued by the lighthouse and wanted an opportunity to have a look around it. That evening or night this NLB staff member thought she heard some unusual noise outside the lighthouse and went to open the door leading to the outside only to find a number of faces looking up at her. Those lucky people!
We also spoke to the same lady about the challenges of getting to Sule Skerry and she was impressed to hear that we’d managed to get out to North Rona.
Lights of the past, present and future in the exhibition area
We had a little while in the Board room where the NLB meet. It’s just as you would imagine a Board room would have been in years gone by, with a huge, sturdy wooden table, heavy chairs and beautifully framed paintings. Mike Bullock, the NLB’s CEO, spoke to us for a while about what they do with some facts and figures. The room also boasts some display cabinets with models of the NLB’s maintenance vessels past and present.
In the exhibition area there was some information about the technical side of their work with examples of the different types of lamps they use (and the new ones they are introducing at the moment) or have used as well as the personal protective equipment their staff wear while out and about.
It was a really good experience and an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss 🙂
June was a month of variety for our lighthouse-bagging antics with a couple of de-tours while we were away on short trips.
The structure at Carnac Point in Inverness
The first was more of an investigation. Living in the Far North our most visited city is Inverness and during my recent review of lighthouses (according to my definition – see earlier blog post) we discovered the structure that stands at Carnac Point in South Kessock. We had seen it from the Kessock Bridge numerous times and we set aside some spare time during a visit last month to go and see it. My list of lighthouses based on the definition is, in some cases, more of a tentative list as the pictures available online often only show the structures from one angle. This means that it may not be noticeable from online research whether or not there is access into the structure – one of my criteria for defining what constitutes a lighthouse. This was certainly the case with Carnac Point. We suspected that it may be big enough to accommodate a person standing up, but we were unsure.
It’s a nice, short walk out to the structure there and after we had completed a full circuit of the green tower we established for sure that it just didn’t fit the lighthouse bill – due simply to the fact that it only had external ladders and no internal access. Regardless of its status it was still a nice walk with some good views from the beacon. While I mentioned the “new” and the “old” in the title of this post, I can’t find any details on exactly how “new” this beacon actually is.
Dunure Harbour lighthouse
The following weekend though we had more success with the “old” during a visit to see family in Ayrshire. This one certainly did have internal access – although access was restricted due to the instability of the building. The lighthouse I speak of is on the west pier in Dunure harbour. It is believed to have been built in 1811 and is no longer operational – hence its unstable condition now. Although it is obvious that the lighthouse is eroding it is still a beautiful building and I was delighted to discover after our visit that efforts are underway by the local Community Council and other local groups to raise the £100,000 required to make it safe again to ensure it is repaired before it requires demolition. There is more information about this, as well as details of the lighthouse’s involvement in the rescue of the crew of the Valkyrien in December 1883, at Dunure.net. The sun was shining for our visit and the harbour was nice and calm, a perfect day for lighthouse-bagging and also a great location for throwing stones into the sea as our little boy discovered. 🙂
Last week we went on a family holiday to the Outer Hebrides, staying in Leverburgh. A friend of ours had organised a series of boat trips during the week, which were due to include a visit to the Monach Islands and the Flannan Isles as well as a trip to Gaisgeir (or Gasker). Unfortunately we weren’t blessed with the perfect conditions of a few weeks ago, so the Monachs and Flannans trips didn’t go ahead. The lighthouse on Eilean Mòr in the Flannans, in particular, would be incredible to see. It has so much history with the disappearance of the keepers in 1900. We are hoping, at some point, to get back out to these two.
On the approach to Gaisgeir island
We were fortunate enough though to get out to Gasker lighthouse – or should I say Gaisgeir island, as the island presents a real challenge for landing on. The skipper from Seatrek was fairly sure that no one would be landing on the island as he described it as being near impossible to land on and like a wall of ice, slippery with seal poo! There were certainly plenty of seals around and we heard about and read a couple of seal-related stories: apparently the introduction of the lighthouse to the island caused a lot of unrest among conservation groups due to the disruption to the seal colony by the helicopters used to deliver the materials and workers; and the former residents of the island of Scarp (just off of Huisinis), 5 miles/8 km to the north east of the island, would travel to the island to kill the seals for food.
Gasker lighthouse
Due to the skipper’s initial thoughts on the possibility of landing, we (or Bob) made a point of getting lots of pictures from the sea as we felt a landing wouldn’t be possible. Fortunately the skipper was willing to have a look around for a possible landing place, so we nipped into Geodha Iar, a coastal inlet on the north side of the island, to see how it looked. It was surprisingly sheltered in the geo and a couple of the members of our group, including Bob, managed to land on the island and scrambled up to the top of the rocks. He then took a short stroll up to the “flat pack” lighthouse and got some good pictures for me. We had researched the island a bit the night before the trip and discovered that there was very little information, and even fewer pictures, available. It might not be an impressive lighthouse, but it was a great experience visiting the island, even if the journey out there was a bit wet! I could tell Bob was delighted with the success of the trip by the big smile on his face when he got back onto the boat!
So that was our single new “bag” of the week, but we did get a look at some of those we’d visited before including Butt of Lewis, Aird Lamishader and Arnish Point. It may not have been the most lighthouse-filled week, but it was great to see a new one. Hopefully we’ll have better luck with the others on our next visit 🙂
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