Photographic copy of drawing of plan of roofs, sections of houses and windows of dwelling houses at Burra Fiord Sheet No. 4

Description Photographic copy of drawing of plan of roofs, sections of houses and windows of dwelling houses at Burra Fiord Sheet No. 4

Date c. 1856

Collection Records of the Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number E 25754 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copy of DC 8906

Copies SC 781525

Scope and Content Photographic copy of plan of roofs and section of houses, Lighthouse Shore Station, Burrafirth, Unst, Shetland Islands This shows a plan of the roof of the accommodation block (bottom left), a section through the leadwork on the roof and the stonework around a window (top left), sections of the windows (top right), a section through the houses (bottom right) and a section through the coal store (centre). Being a lighthouse keeper could be a lonely and restricted life, and few people would consider a lifestyle which usually required them to live on a tower in the middle of the sea for six weeks at a time with only two other people for company. After six weeks on duty (or longer if relief staff could not travel to them due to bad weather) they would spend a month on land at the shore station with their families. The lighthouse shore station at Burrafirth (called Burra Fiord on the plans) was built in 1856, with later additions and alterations as the station was modernised. The station was used to house relief staff and stores for North Unst Lighthouse (now known as Muckle Flugga Lighthouse), and includes a two-storeyed, seven bayed, flat-roofed accommodation block, cottage, slipway with derrick, stores, water cistern and walled garden. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Medium colour negative

Accession Number 1987/10

External Reference C/57/16

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