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The Flannan Isles are a group of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, lying several miles west of the Isle of Lewis.

Before the establishment of the lighthouse on the Flannan Isles, which consists of seven rocky, uninhabited islands called the Seven Hunters, the island of Eilean Mor on which the lighthouse stands had two other dwellings, which are now just ruins, one of which seems to have been a chapel. They were described by the Ancient Monuments Commission as "The Bothies of the Clan McPhail".

The lighthouse, designed by Alan Stevenson, was built in 1899, together with landing places, stairs, etc on Elean Mor and the lightkeppers dwellings at the shore station at Breascelete, on the Isle of Lewis, by George Lawson of Rutherglen. Breascelete was chosen because is was close to Loch Roag and provided safe anchorage and shelter for the tender when taking things on and off the island.

As there was no radio communication between the Flannans and Lewis at that time, a gamekeeper at Gallan Head, Lewis, Mr Roderick MacKenzie, was appointed to observe the light for which he received payment of £8 per annum. His duties involved watching for any signals from the lighthouse, 18 miles north west of his viewing point and to observe and report any failure of the light.

Just a year after the light was switched on, a disaster occurred on the island, but to this day nobody really knows what happened. There were three lightkeepers on the island manning the station, and the last entry in their log book is dated 15th December, but they seem to have just disappeared. Various reports from people who visited the island at the time, such as the master of the Lighthouse Tender who visited on the 26th December, report back that there is no sign of any of them.

The masters telegram read:

For more details on this mystery and more accounts from those who reported back what they did or didn't see, see the Mystery of Flannan Isle page on the Northern Light Board website.

The lighthouse remained manned until 1971 when it became a major automatic light.

Photo by JJM

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By: Tracey Park	Section:  Lighthouses Section	Key:
Page Ref: Flannan	Topic: Lighthouses	Last Updated: 06/2010

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