Account of the Skerryvore lighthouse

by Alan Stevenson

After a good deal of trouble, owing to the lowness of the Rock and the smallness of its surface, the six main beams, each nearly 50 feet long, were raised on end by means of shear-poles, and the iron straps which passed over the top of them, and the ring which embraced the whole so as to secure them at the top, were fixed with much care. The temporary guys were removed on the afternoon of the 18th August. A plummet suspended from the centre of the quoin, after all the six beams were in their places and the stancheons had been run up with lead, came within half-an-inch of the centre bar, which was about 40 feet below the point of suspension, thus indicating an angular deviation of less than 4′. This is a very good approximation, under all the circumstances with which we had to contend; and it is chiefly to be imputed to the very accurate measures pursued in the workyard of the contractor at Greenock, by Mr George Middlemiss, foreman of the carpenters (who then acted as superintendent of the contract works), and whose intelligence and zeal made him, at all times, able and ready to do full justice to all my suggestions for incurring as little loss of time on the Rock as possible. The operation of fixing these six beams, which formed, by their union, a hexagonal pyramid of about 44 feet high, and about 34 feet in diameter at the base, occupied only six days, including the cutting of the seats and the boring of the holes in the Rock. Much labour and time were consumed in the mere moving of beams, each weighing about 13 cwt., over the rugged surface of the Rock, for which purpose we could only use a small set of shear-poles, with crabs and blocks, and tackle purchase; and it sometimes happened, that merely for the purpose of moving a beam, it was necessary to place a special ring-bolt for holding a snatch-block for a few minutes, in spite of all the care and forethought which had been bestowed, in selecting the most advantageous positions for placing them, before the work of raising the beam was begun. Nor was the necessity for securing every loose material by means of lashings to the Rock, before leaving for the night, an insignificant source of delay; for we were sometimes forced by the waves or the darkness, which drove us from our work, to lower a beam which was just ready for being fixed and to replace it in a safe situation.

Pyramid completed. On Saturday the 18th August, the pyramid having been successfully erected, the men were busied for two hours, before embarking for the vessel, in collecting and lashing all the loose materials to the Rock, for the sky gave some indications of a change. As we took to the boats, I looked at the result of our labours with some satisfaction, not unmingled with gratitude.

During the week, while we had been engaged in fitting up the main timbers of the barrack, the weather had been very fine; and except the long hours of toil and the sea-sickness on board the vessel, there was nothing to complain of; Mode of living while erecting the Barrack. but the economy of our life while moored for days off the Rock, was somewhat singular. We landed at four o’clock every morning to commence work, and generally breakfasted on the Rock at eight, at which time the boat arrived with large pitchers of tea, bags of biscuit, and canteens of beef. Breakfast was despatched in half an hour and work again resumed, till about two o’clock, which hour brought the dinner, differing in its materials from breakfast only in the addition of a thick pottage of vegetables, and the substitution of beer for tea. Dinner occupied no longer time than breakfast, and like it, was succeeded by another season of toil, which lasted until eight and sometimes till nine o’clock, when it was so dark that we could scarcely scramble to the boats, and were often glad to avail ourselves of all the assistance we could obtain from an occasional flash of a lantern and from following the voices. Once on the deck of the little tender and the boats hoisted in, the materials of breakfast were again produced under the name of supper; but the heaving of the vessel damped the animation which attended the meals on the Rock, and destroyed the appetite of the men, who, with few exceptions, were so little sea-worthy as to prefer messing on the Rock even during rain, to facing the closeness of the forecastle. As I generally retired to the cabin to write up my notes, when that was practicable, and to wait the arrival of my own refection, I was sometimes considerably amused by the regularity with which the men chose their mess-masters, and the desire which some displayed for the important duties of carving and distributing the rations. Even the short time that could be snatched from the half-hour’s interval at dinner, was generally devoted to a nap; and the amount of hard labour and long exposure to the sun, which could hardly be reckoned at less than 16 hours a-day, prevented much conversation over supper: yet, in many, the love of controversy is so deeply rooted, that I have often, from my small cabin, overheard the political topics of the day, with regard to Church and State, very gravely discussed on deck, over a pipe of tobacco. Perhaps the great heat below, where upwards of twenty people were confined, might in some measure account for this wakefulness on board the Tender.

One beautiful morning, during our stay of six days at the Rock, we had a visit from Shoals of Medusæ seen. a shoal of small fish, whose novel appearance made me take them for a fleet of some species of Nautilus. Those animals came in such numbers, that the pale blue silky membranes or sails, which wafted them before a gentle breeze over the glassy surface of the ocean, literally covered the water as far as we could see. One of those animals I sent in a small phial to my friend, Professor Fleming, then of King’s College, Aberdeen, who assigns to it the Linnean name of Medusa velilla, and says it is noticed by Dr Walker and Mr Pennant, as a native of Scotland.

The threatening of the previous night was fully verified by the succeeding Sunday morning, as a strong southerly wind with heavy showers, forced us to part from our moorings at the Rock at break of day, and make sail for Hynish Bay, where we anchored at seven. On Monday I landed at Hynish; but as the wind, which had increased to a strong gale, was still rising and inclining more to E., Mr Macurich summoned me to the boat, when, with much difficulty, and at the expense of shipping several seas, we reached the vessel which was pitching the bowsprit under. Driven by a gale to Mull. This soon forced us to run for the Sound of Mull, where we were detained until Saturday the 25th, on the morning of which day we again made Hynish Bay; but the wind, which had been less violent when we started from Tobermory the night before, again commencing to blow strong from the same unpropitious quarter, Return to Hynish, and are driven to Coll. we had only time to land at Hynish, and take on board a salted sheep (which proved a rather unpalatable addition to our provisions), when we were forced to seek shelter in our old quarters at Loch Erin in Coll. As we entered Loch Erin, we saw the Regent (the General Lighthouse Tender) leave the Sound of Mull, and again put back to Tobermory. Next day (the 26th August) we left Loch Erin, and boarded the Regent; but the weather proving boisterous, we were again forced into our old anchorage, while the Regent proceeded with the Engineer, who was then on his annual voyage, to Barrahead Lighthouse, without attempting to go near the Skerryvore. From this date the weather did not prove favourable for a landing until the 30th, when the wind being N.W., we sailed from Loch Erin at daybreak, Return to the Rock. and reached the Skerryvore at ten. We now discharged all the remaining materials which had been shipped for the Rock with a view to complete the pyramid of the barrack, which it was intended should stand the test of a winter, deferring the fixing of the habitable part till next spring.

31st August.—The last day of August was one of considerable discomfort. Our landing at four in the morning was attended with great difficulty and some danger; and throughout the day we were a good deal incommoded by a thick drizzling rain, which continued without intermission. About mid-day the sea rose so much as to render it no longer prudent to delay leaving the Rock, and we therefore embarked. After lying at our moorings until half-past two, in what, to landsmen, was a most distressing sea, Driven to Tyree. we slipped and ran for Hynish Bay, which we reached at 5¹⁄₂ P.M. The weather continued boisterous until next evening (1st September), when the wind went round to the north, and at eight all the men were summoned on board; but although we sailed at daybreak, we could not reach the moorings with daylight; Return to the Rock. and it was not till the morning of the 4th September, about four o’clock, that we could again land on the Rock. We succeeded, in spite of a very unfavourable day, in remaining till three o’clock, Horizontal braces fixed. during which time we fixed the whole of the horizontal braces, and got everything which we had not been able to secure in its place firmly lashed to the ring-bolts on the Rock, after which Driven to Mull. we were forced to leave it for Mull. Heavy gale. The gale continued to blow very hard, without any intermission, for some days; and on the 6th, Timber cast on Tyree. some wreck-timber, covered with goose-barnacles, came ashore among the surf at the beach at Hynish, but no trace of its history was ever found, nor did any rumour reach us of a shipwreck having occurred on this coast. It was not till the 8th that we could again attempt to reach the Skerryvore; when, sailing from Mull with a fair wind, and taking on board at Hynish nine masons, and Mr C. Barclay, foreman of the quarriers, we again landed on it at 2¹⁄₂ P.M. Return to Rock, and farther progress of barrack. We succeeded in getting up the mortar gallery (see [Plate V.]), and in fixing some of the diagonal braces, and left the Rock about eight. A marrot perched on the vessel’s side this afternoon, much fatigued and evidently desirous to get on board; but the sailors, from some superstitious dread, would not admit the poor bird.

10th September.—We landed at four o’clock, and had a long and good day’s work until daylight left us. We were now within twenty-four hours at most of completing all that could be expected to be done this season; and it was with no small anxiety that I observed a change of wind from N.E. to S.S.W., accompanied by a fall of the sympiesometer; as in the event of a change of weather at that season, it seemed very uncertain when we might again land, and still more uncertain whether our work, in its incomplete state, could resist the winter’s seas.

11th September.—Last day’s work on Rock this season. This was our last day’s work on the Rock this season. We landed at four o’clock with very great difficulty, and some danger of having our boats swamped; and we were forced, owing to the heavy sea which broke upon it, to leave the Rock at high water; but, about one o’clock, we were enabled to return, as the sea fell a little. By dint of great exertions, we got the last of the diagonal braces fixed, and the bats run up with lead and painted, for their protection against corrosion. We also contrived to remove the greater part of the tools from the Rock, but some we were forced to leave to their fate. To the upper part of the pyramid we lashed a water-tight chest, containing biscuits and a cask of water, Precaution for the benefit of shipwrecked seamen.to serve as a means of support to any shipwrecked mariners who might chance to reach the Rock. I also caused some spars to be lashed at various levels, by way of testing the effects of the sea; but to how little purpose, the sequel will shew. Before leaving the Rock, I climbed to the top of the pyramid, View from top of pyramid. from which I now, for the first time, got a bird’s eye view of the various shoals which the stormy state of the sea so well disclosed; and my elevation above the Rock itself decreased the apparent elevation of the rugged ledge so much, that it seemed to me as if each successive wave must sweep right over its surface, and carry us all before it into the wide Atlantic. So loud was the roaring of the wind among the timbers of the barrack, and so hoarse the clamour of the waves, that I could not hear the voices of the men below; and I, with difficulty, occasionally caught the sharp tinkle of the hammers on the Rock. When I looked back upon the works of the season, upon our difficulties, and, I must add, dangers, and the small result of our exertions—for we had only been 165 hours at work on the Rock between the 7th August and the 11th September—I could see that, in good truth, there were many difficulties before us; but there was also much cause for thankfulness, in the many escapes we had made.

After a somewhat precarious embarkation in the boats, and shipping several seas in our way, we reached the vessel, and immediately set sail with three cheers, rejoicing to have thus concluded our season’s work.