Mull, Erraid, Lighthouse Shore Establishment, Observatory And Signal Station
Observatory (19th Century)
Site Name Mull, Erraid, Lighthouse Shore Establishment, Observatory And Signal Station
Classification Observatory (19th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Earraid Shore Station
Canmore ID 121526
Site Number NM22SE 61
NGR NM 29640 20367
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/121526
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilfinichen And Kilvickeon
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NM22SE 61 29640 20367
Location formerly cited as NM 297 203.
For (related and predecessor) establishment at Hynish, Tiree (NL 9853 3918), see NL93NE 8. For (associated) Dubh Artach lighthouse (NM 1227 0305), see NM10SW 1.
(Location cited as NM 297 203). Observatory, c. 1870, engineer David Stevenson. A circular stone tower with a conical stone roof. Nearby are nine houses for keepers and crews. Built for communication with Dhu Heartach (Dubh Artach) lighthouse [situated 12 miles off the SW tip of Mull].
J R Hume 1977.
The Earraid shore establishment was set up in 1867 as the quarrying and support base for the construction of Dubh Artach light, which it subsequently supported. It cost ?10,300 and included nine houses for the families of the Dubh Artach keepers and the crew of the attendant steamer. In 1892 they were joined by the 'Skerryvore' families and the station was disposed of in the 1950's.
R W Munro 1979.
The current edition of the OS 1:10,000 map depicts no buildings at the cited location (NM 297 203), which appears topographically improbable. Hume is probably referring to the buildings depicted (but not noted) about 200m to the NE (around NM 299 204).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 29 September 1997.
