Summary Record

Event ID 849084

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Summary Record

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/849084

NG29SW 1.00 24743 94715

For Robert Kay and Thomas Smith's 1789 tower see:

NG29SW 1.01 NG 24740 94710 Old Lighthouse

NG29SW 1.02 NG 24746 94740 Lighthouse Keeper's House

NG29SW 1.03 NG 24660 94808 Pier

NG29SW 1.04 NG 24688 94799 Pier Store

NG29SW 1.05 Cancelled

NG29SW 1.06 NG 24743 94699 Foghorn

Lighthouse [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1974.

(Listed as Scalpay, Eilean Glas, in East Loch Tarbert).

[Admiralty] 1980.

The first lighthouse on Eilean Glas was one of the first four built by the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouse Board (established 1 August 1786). Construction started in 1787/8, the lighthouse being completed by engineer T Smith to a different (broader) design than that planned so as to accommodate work carried out by the local landowner. These early lights were made as simple as possible; the lightrooms were of timber construction, and only fixed lights (burning whale oil in front of a parabolic reflector) were displayed. In this case, the lightroom was set 25ft (7.6m) above ground level, to place it about 73ft (22.3m) above sea level.

This lighthouse was one of five early stations to be rebuilt between 1821 and 1830, in a more permament form and in accordance with the Commissioners' policy of 'national establishment'. Robet Selkirk, the chief builder of Robert Stevenson's 'Bell Rock team' was in charge of operations. In 1846-7 the Commissioners employed 50 starving labourers, and all those dependent on them' to build an unnecessary road to the lighthouse. The lens system was converted to a dioptric or catadioptric system in 1852, and the tower has also been painted with red bands. The power of the lantern was greatly increased in 1907.

The light was listed for conversion to automatic operation in 1979, and is now a major automatic station.

R W Munro 1979; K Allardyce and E M Hood 1986; B Bathurst 1999.