ROI

HEADS-UP

Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse

[Sometimes spelt Rinns of Islay]

Lighthouse RoI 1 Ron Ireland

Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse Buildings (c) 2014 Ron Ireland

In relation to the Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse Buildings, we have it first hand in writing from the Northern Lighthouse Board that:-

“The Committee [Northern Lighthouse Board] noted that investigations were being undertaken into a potential interested purchaser, and that if these should prove unsuccessful, the property would be offered for sale on the open market.”

You heard it here on Lighthouses For Sale first folks. Not guaranteed there will be a sale, but certainly the taste of something curious for the lighthouse Hamish MacBeth.

It is very important to Taggart/inspector Morse these things. In other words do your detective work. Research proactively. We cannot emphasise that enough. It is the very reason we were fortunate and lucky enough to live in a lighthouse building.

So this “Heads-Up” is gifted to you, with our compliments.

Finding out the if, what part, when etc., we leave to you. like a really good jigsaw, a great amount of fun is in the process of getting there.

 Lighthouse RoI Mary and Angus Hogg 88

Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse Buildings (c) 2014 Mary & Angus Hogg

By the looks of this fabulous set of buildings, something interesting may well be about to happen.

Over to you.

Location: Rhinns Lighthouse Compound, Isle of Orsay, Off Port Wemyss, Isle of Islay, Argyll, PA47 7ST.

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Northern Lighthouse Board Narrative:

Rinns of Islay Lighthouse is situated on the small Island of Orsay off the south coast of Islay. Rinn is the Gaelic for point, but in this case the name came from Gaelic Rann, a division. The Rinns formed one of the three divisions of Islay.

The Engineer used all his ingenuity in trying out new ways to distinguish one light from another. Rinns of Islay was alternately stationary and revolving, producing a bright ‘flash’ of light every 12 seconds, without those intervals of darkness which characterise other lights on the coast. The cost of this lighthouse was between £8,000 and £9,000 and John Gibb of Aberdeen was the contractor for the splendid tower.

Provisions and other light stores were brought by boatmen permanently attached to the station and they also did the reliefs. Boats were normally located at the nearest point of land. Inevitably, these boats operated in stormy waters among strong tides, but accidents seldom occurred. In storms in 1877-78, however, attending boats were lost or seriously damaged by being swamped or driven ashore.

In 1978 the light was changed to electric operation and this sealed beam light, mounted on a gearless revolving pedestal, has proved a real step forward in lighthouse illumination.

The Rinns of Islay lighthouse was automated on 31 March 1998.