Early Operations
Dubh Artach Lighthouse
| Location | Dhu Heartach skerry 18 miles (29 km) west of Colonsay, Argyll, Scotland 56°08′0″N 06°38′0″W / 56.133333°N 6.633333°W / 56.133333; -6.633333Coordinates: 56°08′0″N 06°38′0″W / 56.133333°N 6.633333°W / 56.133333; -6.633333 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 145 ft (44 m) |
| Characteristics | Two White Flashes every 30 secs |
| Description | White, circular tower with red horizontal band |
| Date established | 1872 |
| Date of present tower | 1872 |
| Date automated | 1971 |
| Current use | Active aid to navigation |
| Engineers | Thomas and David Stevenson |
| Open to the public | Grounds only. Landings by sea are likely to be hazardous if not impossible. |
Completion of the construction work did not result in an end to the hazards. At low tide the landing stage is forty feet above a boat, yet not completely out of the reach of the swell. Landings other than via the precarious use of dangling ropes from a derrick were most unusual even on calm days. The storm seas could rise to extraordinary heights. In the first year of operation, the copper lightning conductor was wrenched out of its sockets by a storm at a height of 92 feet (28 m) above high water.
The first principal keeper was James Ewing who looked after the light for the next eleven years. Despite the exceptionally adverse conditions faced by the keepers, which resulted in them receiving additional payments in kind, Ewing was not the only one who served the light for a decade or more. However, some found the lonely rock and its cramped quarters less to their taste. One had to be prevented from diving into the sea and attempting to swim ashore.
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