Name and Location

Hyskeir Lighthouse, also known as Oigh Sgier Lighthouse, stands on Hyskeir (Eilean Hyska), a small rocky skerry off the west coast of Scotland. Its location marks the southern approach to the Small Isles (Canna, Sanday, Rùm, and Eigg) and guards the treacherous waters of the Minch.

Coordinates:

56°58′9.62″ N, 6°40′49.40″ W

Map Link:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=56.969339,-6.6803885

Nearest Inhabited Island:

Isle of Canna (approx. 12 km to the northeast)

Administrative Area:

Highland Council, Scotland, United Kingdom

Construction and History

Hyskeir Lighthouse was commissioned in 1904-1905 by the Northern Lighthouse Board engineering team, credited to David Alan Stevenson. Its purpose is to warn vessels of the submerged skerries and strong tidal streams in the southern Minch.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a masonry tower with attached keepers' quarters, built using local granite blocks quarried and dressed on site. The exterior finish is painted white, while the lantern and railings are traditionally painted black.

Light and Navigation

The light status of Hyskeir Lighthouse is active, featuring white flashes at regular intervals. Its range is sufficient to cover main shipping lanes in the Minch.

Accessibility and Visiting

Access to the lighthouse is by private boat, subject to weather and sea conditions; there is no regular ferry service. The tower and former keeper's quarters are not open to the public, and there are no visitor facilities on Hyskeir. Viewing can be done from charter cruises around the Small Isles or from vantage points on Canna or Sanday.

Notable Views and Landscape

Hyskeir is a windswept rock, home to a variety of seabirds (guillemots, razorbills, puffins) and a haul-out site for grey seals. The lighthouse sits at the summit of the skerry, offering panoramic views over the Atlantic, the Cuillin ridge of Skye on a clear day, and the dramatic highlands of Rùm and Muck to the south and east.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was automated in the late 20th century (keepers withdrawn), powered by a diesel generator, later connected to solar panels and battery back-up. It is managed by the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Further Information

Northern Lighthouse Board "A History of Scottish Lighthouses," available via NLB archives; Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals (United Kingdom); Haswell-Smith, Hamish. The Scottish Islands (2004), for background on the Small Isles.