Pricing Change
New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered.
Scheduled Maintenance Notice
Please be advised that this website will undergo scheduled maintenance starting on Thursday, 30th January at 11:00 AM and will last until Friday, 31st January at 10:00 AM.
During this time, the site and certain functions may be partially or fully unavailable. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
Civil Engineering heritage: Highland and Islands
Date 2007
Event ID 610337
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/610337
From time immemorial the treacherous seas in the area bounded by the islands of Tiree, Iona, Colonsay and Islay claimed many victims. During the winter of 1865–66 no less than 24 vessels were wrecked or driven aground. In order to improve this situation D.&T. Stevenson, engineers to the Northern Lighthouse Board, recommended that a light be established on Dhu Heartach Rock some 14 miles south west of Mull.
In 1867–68, under their direction, a shore station for the dressing and fitting of stone was established on the Island of Erraid, Mull, where an abundant supply of excellent granite was available. The construction method was similar to that used at Skerryvore, operating from a temporary barrack, except that, fortunately as it transpired, a wrought-iron instead of a timber framework was used to support the barrack room.
The barrack, which was erected in 1868, was soon put to the test when resident engineer Alan Brebner and 13 workmen found themselves unexpectedly occupying it during a five-day storm in August, when ‘heavy broken water frequently rose far above the barrack, and falling on top, which was 77 feet above high water level, completely excluded all light for several seconds’.
Paxton and Shipway 2007b.
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
