Photographic copy of drawing showing plan of iron pathway with details of the mooring ring and sections across the pathway .

Description Photographic copy of drawing showing plan of iron pathway with details of the mooring ring and sections across the pathway .

Date 3/1865

Collection Records of the Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number E 25858 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copy of DC 9370

Copies SC 783974

Scope and Content Photographic copy of drawing of iron pathway, Skervuile Lighthouse, Jura, Argyll & Bute This shows plans, sections and details of the iron pathway around the lighthouse. The plan (top right) shows that the path (as a red line) spanned the entire island. The details (far left) include drawings of the mooring ring used for tying up visiting boats. The pathway would be used during deliveries and by the relief crew. The boatmen who served rock lighthouses often worked relief duties, and would visit the keepers about four times a month. This usually included two Sunday visits to enable the keepers to attend church. Boatmen often risked journeys in stormy weather in order to get supplies to the keepers on the rock lights, and were in danger even at their shore stations. The storms of 1877-8 were so fierce that the relief boat was sunk at its mooring in Lowlandman's Bay. Skervuile Lighthouse was built in 1865 to designs by engineer Thomas Stevenson (1818-87), father of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-94). Its white-painted tower stands 25m high on a rocky island 4km off the east coast of Jura, and when manned it was serviced by a boatman based at Lowlandman's Bay, Jura. The lighthouse became a minor light in 1945 when it was automated. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Medium colour negative

Accession Number 1987/10

External Reference 90/S1/6

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