Example: To The Back of This Photo
Are The Derelict Lighthouse Keepers' Homes...

Sadly efforts to locate and assist the current owner of 
Ailsa Craig Lighthouse Station, 
Title Number: AYR24617 resulted in a dead-end. 
25 years of neglect is enough.

^^ Ailsa Craig Island Lighthouse Station ^^
^^ Urgently Requires Rescuing Before Demolition ^^

^^ Exclusive Projects Only In The Lighthouse Bulletin ^^

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Plus…

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Lighthouse News & Feature Articles

Plus our readers’ experience too. A brief study and there have been a grand total of…

21 x Lighthouse Stations, consisting of

62 x separate lighthouse buildings

… through this website and the preceding paper-format version: here) over the 40 years we that have been going (1985 to 2025 an still standing).

So lots of interesting adventures and lighthouse mischief to catch up on.

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Plus…

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The Lighthouse Bulletin: Video Blogs ~ Vlogs

A new feature that we shall be testing out are video logs.

Direct from the editor and volunteers at the Lighthouse Bulletin.

But also some detailed lighthouse videos from each lighthouse station too.

For example, most readers will be aware that we started out leasing…

The Old Lookout Station

For £5 A Year in 1984

On Davaar Island

^^ Davaar Island Lighthouse Station ^^
1984: Birthplace of Unique Property Bulletin &
1985: The Lighthouse Bulletin
 ^^ Photo Courtesy of Paul White. Alamy Fee Paid: Here ^^ 

Okay, it took 14 months to renovate our first building on Davaar Island. We had no idea how important this old wreck would become in being a catalyst for future lifeline events…

^^ The Old Lookout, Davaar Island, Kintyre, Argyll ^^
^^ Before Renovation: 1984/1985 ^^

The sheer enjoyment of renovating this Old Coastguard Lookout Station ~ helped by a lot of friends, is a memory that has had an impact way beyond what which anyone could have hoped from such a small sanctuary of a place. 

^^ The Old Lookout, Davaar Island, Kintyre, Argyll ^^
.
After renovation we were happy for years.
That sublime life improved even more when 
we moved to the lighthouse station next door 
after our time a the Old Lookout. 

Crucially, the savings made by living in a home that cost £5 a year to lease were real and life changing. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the old bank statements reveal £39,741 would have been paid in rent for a “normal” home.

The unusual event of being injured during police service and losing a much loved job as a rural bobby, eventually on the Islands of Islay and Jura. The islanders were the kindest, nicest folk you could possibly hope to live with. Annie Anderson was my landlady in our temporary police accommodation and was one of those incredibly decent human beings you never forget.

The island station was very much like the tv series Hamish Macbeth (here). That injury eventually required spinal surgery and it seemed the worst news in the world.

But that was a case of the old philosophy… “Could be bad, could be good!”

In this case, what seemed very bad, turned out to be good in a life changing way!

It is a reason this website is free for you and the basis upon which we can provide a 25% discount on lighthouse homes.

All from a disabling spinal injury!

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The Old Lookout Coastguard Station renovation was such a success that the owner of Davaar Island offered the founder of this website the lease on the Principal Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage…

^^ Davaar Island Lighthouse Station ^^
 The One That Inspired 40 Years of Lighthouse Life
& Crucially A Passion To Share These With Other Lighthouse Folk

If you recall, earlier in this main page, we mentioned how Russ McLean had leased an old coastguard station ~ as pictured in the photo above (cream coloured building at the top right of that picture).

The £5 per year rent of the old coastguard ruin (and £1,959 renovation cost ~ in 1985 prices) meant no “normal” rent nor mortgage needed paying each month. Add that to the police overtime Russ McLean squirrelled away in his savings account and the balance reached £39,741. Very old fashioned to save before buying a house, but much needed.

Then came the spinal surgery on 1st July 1994.

Family gathered round and recuperation was at home in Glasgow with one half and London with the other half.

A strange thing happened in London. After regaining the ability to walk and finding a new job, a house was next on the list But this time in London. A fair old trek from the lighthouse station at Davaar Island…

Even with the best part of £40,000 deposit, it was not easy. Somewhat naively a house near his Dad in Kensington was bought. It really is an expensive part of the capital.

This is when bad turned to good.

 

After a few years, the mortgage had reduced substantially and the phenomenon of London house price inflation had been working its weird, gravity defying magic.

By the time a lighthouse home came up for sale back in Scotland, the equity released from the time in London was then £1,922,800. Even to this day, that seems a surreal amount of money, when the annual lease back home “up north” was just £5 a year! 

 

Ironically, McLean’s appetite was still for small homes… probably from living and working aboard ships. Cabin life can be minimal, but often with very happy memories.

So the bulk of that £1,922,800 ended up in the Angels Share Trust.

Recently, our book keeper was curious about what several large, dusty boxes, full of old set of title-deeds showed…

A Lot of The Angels Share Helped
In Ways That Were Unimagined

This was triggered by Russ McLean’s mother having a grumble and dig that her eldest son had not completed his degree (the election as a student union president on the promise of building a student union recreation and sports building got in the way).

The book-keeper handed Russ a sample of the title-deeds and suggested he give those to his mum as a substitute for the lack of a university degree. With a wicked sense of humour our book-keeper mentioned some of the Ph.D doctoral thesis she had read were not a patch on each of the unique property and lighthouse adventures contained within these Land Registry title deeds.

The worry for Russ was and still is “not to waste a life.” The disability from spinal surgery had bu66ered up a promising career as a police officer.

But the £1,922,800 from working a few years in London has an almost medical cure effect.

Especially when the title deeds produced details for the book-keeper to draw up this set of deed based facts…

^^ That £1,922,800 From London Helped With This ^^

The Angels Share Is The Reason We Can Help Our Readers With
Affordable Lighthouse Homes

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To put all of the above detail into perspective on a personal note, the Angels Share is the reason Russ is averse to ostentation and dislikes the thought of spending a couple of million pounds on a luxury house. Besides, a significant amount of those funds are locked away in a philanthropic trust.

When you look at what enjoyment can be had from deploying the majority of that money into a fund for the “Angels Share”… 232 new jobs and 88 buildings renovated, many of which are affordable homes…

Then a modest (former)) lighthouse keeper’s home worth between £100,000 and £125,000 is more than enough, in which to live to a happy life.

Especially with views like this…

^^ View From Russ McLean’s Home: Tod Head Lighthouse Station ^^

It is kind of ironic… all of this series of adventures began, forty years ago from a ruinous Old Lookout Station (and then a move next door to Davaar Island Lighthouse Station) which were and are very similar to the founder of this website’s original home on Davaar Island…

The Old Lookout, Davaar Island
In 1984: Before Renovation Started.

^^ £5 A Year Well Spent: But Any Dog Treats Down There? ^^

^^ For The Safety of Wee Hamish McDug The Floor Hatch ^^
^^Was Kept Closed Most of The Time ^^

The owner of this Lighthouse Bulletin is Unique Property Bulletin Ltd., This HQ organisation has been lucky enough to host professionals who work (and are dedicated to) the triumvirate of lighthouse authorities in the UK and Eire.

For example, Andy Ritchie and the Northern Lighthouse Board crew of contractors resided at our Noss Head Lighthouse Station for just over a year in order to get the TOWER and the former KEEPERS’ Houses looking the best they have in years.

At the Lighthouse Bulletin and our Head Office company (here), our team are very lucky to have formed enduring friendships and professional lighthouse relationships with the best of the best.

That make it a lot easier for us to help you if you need some advice.

It Takes A Professional Team

To Renovate Lighthouse Buildings

.

.^^ Andy Ritchie Is One of A Major Lighthouse Team ^^
^^ These Are The Lifeblood of Lighthouse Buildings ^^
^^ Being Kept In Top Condition ^^ 

From the roof of each lighthouse building (example: here) to the foundations, we are lucky here to have access to some of the best lighthouse professionals in the world.

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