Lighthouses and connections

For those who love the wilder areas of the coast, lighthouses have a special place for both the mariner or the landlubber. There is always something majestic about the white lighthouse standing out - indeed often almost growing out - solidly from the rocks on which is stands. They always have a well maintained and dependable air to them.
The lighthouse on the picture above is one of the Monach Isles - an uninhabited group of islands five miles west of North Uist. A tragedy occurred there in November 1936. Two lightkeepers had taken a rowing boat across the half mile stretch of water, as usual, to collect the mail from the post box, a journey which involved a walk of approximately two and three quarter miles and the crossing of two fords. By their return the weather deteriorated badly - sleet and gale force winds had blown up - and blew their rowing boat off course. It was not until over three weeks later that their bodies were washed ashore
One of our neighbours on Grimsay, who has just turned 90, was the last person to live there with his family when they were the only inhabitants on the islands from 1945 to 1949.
The lighthouse itself was built by David Stevenson who built over 30 lighthouses around the Scottish coast. He was the uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, the author, whose trail based on his book "Travels with a Donkey" passes 10 miles from our house in the Ardeche.
It is a small world.