Name and Location

Skerryvore Lighthouse is located at coordinates 56°19′23″ N, 7°6′48″ W (56.323207 N, –7.113523 W), situated on the submerged reef of Skerryvore, approximately 12 miles (19 km) off the west coast of the Isle of Tiree, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom. The Admiralty chart reference is A 4096.

Construction and History

Skerryvore Lighthouse was constructed between 1838 and 1844, with the first light lit on February 1, 1844. It was designed by Alan Stevenson, a member of the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers. The purpose of building the lighthouse was to mark one of the most treacherous reefs off Scotland's west coast, where numerous wrecks had occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Architecture and Materials

The tower is a tapered cylindrical granite structure with external granite coursing, corbelled gallery, and cast-iron lantern. The materials used are pink Aberdeenshire granite quarried at Rubislaw, Aberdeen. The tower height is 48 meters (approximately 157 feet) from base to lantern roof, and the focal height is 50 meters above mean high water. The foundation is set on a natural rock outcrop, carefully shaped to receive the first courses of dressed granite.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is flashing white every 10 seconds (Fl W 10s; flash duration ~0.5 s, eclipse ~9.5 s). The nominal range is 23 nautical miles. The light source is a modern xenon or LED lamp in an automated installation. Additionally, the lighthouse has a radar transponder (Racon) with symbol “M” and period 120 seconds, as well as an AIS transponder.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse can only be accessed by boat or helicopter, weather-dependent. There are no public landing or tours available. The nearest visitor facilities are on the Isle of Tiree (ferry or air connections from Oban). Viewing points are best from boat charters departing Tiree or coastal viewpoints on Tiree and surrounding islets.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse stands dramatically, rising directly from dark granite skerries surrounded by open sea. The environment is exposed Atlantic reef, home to seals, seabirds (gannets, puffins), and occasional cetaceans.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore speaks of the hardship faced by the first keepers, ferried out on small skiffs and living in isolation for months at a time. The cutter Jane was lost with all hands in 1808, one of dozens of vessels that claimed the reef before the lighthouse was built.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is an active “major light” managed by the Northern Lighthouse Board. It was originally staffed by a team of keepers living in on-site cottages (removed after automation). The lighthouse was automated in 1994, with remote monitoring and control from the Northern Lighthouse Board headquarters in Edinburgh.

Further Information

For more information, please visit the Northern Lighthouse Board website or consult Wikipedia.