Arriving at Skerryvore for the first time

Having taken off in the helicopter from the Northern Lighthouse Base in 1979, we crossed over the islands of Kerrera and Mull. Upon reaching the far side of Mull, we flew into a fog bank as we began our sea crossing toward Skerryvore. At that time, there was no GPS—just a Decca system, essentially a rolling paper map with a plastic cursor that moved across it, giving a rough indication of our position.

Visibility was poor. Although we could see the sea below and a little ahead, the pilot decided to climb higher to check if the tower might be poking above the fog bank, as it sometimes did. No luck. We returned to sea level.

The pilot reported that the lighthouse had radioed to say they could hear us and believed we were nearby. Then, suddenly, out of the fog emerged Skerryvore—the granite tower visible from about halfway up.

It was my first glimpse of the lighthouse, with the lightkeepers standing at the base and the sea breaking over the reef, occasionally splashing onto the helipad.

After unloading the helicopter, we made our way along the grating to the base of the tower. Looking up, I was stunned by the magnificence of its sweeping form rising to the top. I understood then why it’s often described as the most beautiful lighthouse in the world.

We climbed the bronze-runged ladder—some thirty-odd feet from the base to the front door—to begin my first stay on Skerryvore.

Contributed by John Pirie, former lighthouse engineer, on behalf of the Hynish Trust. John lived and worked on many of Scotland's lighthouses, including Skerryvore.

Image courtesy of John Pirie

If you are lucky enough to be exploring Hynish Shore Station in person, then try the next story on your route 'Life at Hynish Station'