Ve Skerries, Beacon
Beacon (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Ve Skerries, Beacon
Classification Beacon (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Ve Skerries, Lighthouse; Ve Skerries Light; Sullom Voe Terminal; Atlantic
Canmore ID 271453
Site Number HU16NW 1
NGR HU 103 655
NGR Description HU c. 103 655
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/271453
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Walls And Sandness
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
HU16NW 1 c. 103 665
The isolated and treacherous reef of the Ve Skerries is situated 3 miles off Papa Stour, to the W of Shetland. The erection of a lighthouse of conventional form was considered in 1892, after the loss of two vessels [one of them HU16NW 8003] on the reef. Temporary protection was provided during World War One by a light on Esha Ness. A gas-lighted automatic whistling buoy was moored in 25 fathoms off the reef in 1932, flowing the loss of the Ben Doran (HU16NW 8001). It was decoided to erect this light after the loss of the Elinor Viking (HU16NW 8002) in December 1977.
The Ve Skerries light is one of seven minor lights erected in about 1979 to safeguard the route into Sullom Voe terminal (HU37NE 34). It is formed of a reinforced concrete tower, 42ft (12.8m) high and of balconied form, which is secured by steel bars under heavy tension. The lantern from the former North Carr lightship has been set on the tower to protect an atumated electric light.
R W Munro 1979; K Allardyce and E M Hood 1986; S Krauskopf 2003.
(Location cited as N 60 22.4 W1 48.7). Ve Skerries. This light is built on a white concrete tower, and has a cited system height of 16m; a Racon is fitted.
Admiralty List of Lights 1980.
Name: Ve Skerries (1979)
Location: N60 22 W1 49 Atlantic, 10 miles SW of Esha Ness lighthouse (HU27NW 14.00)
Designed: R J Mackay
Built: R J Mackay and J H K Williamson, May-September 1979
Light first exhibited: 27 September 1979
Description: Circular concrete tower, painted white
Height of light above MHW: 56ft (17m)
Height of tower: 53ft (16m)
Light source and characteristics: W Gp Fl (2) ev 20 secs. Bi-form electric lamp: 1,660 cp: 11nm nominal range
Fog warning apparatus: None
Manning: unwatched (automatic when built)
Constructed to aid navigation into Sullom Voe oil terminal (HU37NE 34) from the W
C Nicholson 1995.
Ve Skerries Lighthouse.
Light Established: 1979
Engineer: R J MacKay
60° 22.4'N 01° 48.7'W
Character: Flashing (2) White every 20 secs
Elevation: 17 metres
Nominal Range: 11 miles
Structure: White concrete tower 16 metres high
The low lying reef is located some 3 miles North West of Papa Stour off the west coast of Shetland. The Ve Skerries Ligthouse was built during the summer of 1979. Work started on 28 May 1979 and the light was first lit on 27 September 1979 replacing the lighted buoy which had marked this position previously.
The structure of the tower is founded on the rock surface but is anchored to the rock mass by 18 post-tensioned bars 40mm diameter into two rings. The outer ring contains 12 bars which are anchored 5 metres into the rock and the inner ring has 6 bars anchored 3 metres into the rock. Each bar is stressed to a load of 92 tonnes.
The light is powered by batteries which are replaced annually and the lantern is glazed with a polycarbonate sheet called Lexan.
There is a helicopter pad situated on the rock near the tower. The lighthouse vessel MV PHAROS visits the Ve Skerries once a year, usually in June.
Although in a very exposed situation no damage to the structure has been reported to date.
Information from Northern Lighthouse Board, 14 March 2005.
The accurate location of this light cannot be determined from the available map evidence; that cited is derived from the Admiralty List of Lights (1980).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 15 March 2005.
Build (1979)
This innovative project, directed by Northern Lighthouse Board civil engineer R. Mackay, was the first of several using the post-tensioning
technique in Scotland was built in 1979.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Publication Account (2007)
Ve Skerries Lighthouse, Papa Stour, Shetland
(Institute Civil Engineers Historic Engineering Works no. HEW 2452)
This 50 ft tall pre-stressed reinforced-concrete lighthouse was constructed in 1979 at a remote and exposed location, mainly as a navigational aid to tanker traffic in and out of Sullom Voe oil terminal.
Construction was achieved in the remarkably short time of four months by means of helicopters. This technique was used only after the practicability of helicopters for lifting and positioning 9.84 ft diameter pre-cast concrete manhole chamber rings weighing about a ton to be used as permanent
shuttering had been tested.
An unusual design feature was that the tower was prestressed vertically with a post-tensioning force of about 1600 tonnes nearly ten times the weight of the structure. This was achieved by means of Macalloy bars anchored from 10–16 ft into the rock beneath, tensioned from the top by hydraulically operated compressed air jacks. The tower was designed to withstand a wave force of 2 tons sq. ft for the bottom 25 ft tapering off to 12 ton sq. ft at the tower top.
A lighthouse at this site was considered as early as 1863 but not implemented. Using traditional methods it would have taken several years to build. This innovative project, directed by Northern Lighthouse Board civil engineer R. Mackay, was the first of several using the post-tensioning technique in Scotland.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
