An excursion to the Flannan Isles

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Introduction

While planning a few days on Harris and Lewis, I looked into whether visits were made to the Flannan Isles, and found one operator, who cruised there once a year, had chosen the exact date that I wanted in 2012.

The islands lie just over 20 miles to the west of the Isle of Lewis. My trip left Miavaig harbour at 10:30 on Saturday 18 August and returned at just after 5 o’clock.

We received confirmation by telephone the previous day, confirming that weather conditions were expected to be favourable. In fact, the crossing could not have been smoother and it was eminently comfortable standing for the whole of the journey, without fear of losing one’s footing. This despite driving through heavy rain from Tarbert to get to Miavaig - the showers cleared up just as I was pulling up at the harbourside. The return trip was even smoother.

The islands

The islands are separated into three main groups.

The largest islands are in the northeast group, situated mainly in NA7246. These include Eilean Mòr, the largest of the Flannans and home to the lighthouse; Eilean Tighe, its smaller neighbour; and several smaller rocky islands such as Làmh an Sgeir Mhòir and Làmh a’ Sgeir Bheag which are sandwiched between the two.

In the next square south, all neatly contained within NA7245, are a small set of islands, Soraigh being the largest, Sgeir Toman the highest, and Sgeir Righinn the other substantial island.

And finally, the farthest west group stands mainly in NA6946. The largest island here is Roaiream, while the tallest is Eilean a’ Ghobha. Bròna Cleit, the westernmost Flannan Isle, completes the main trio here.




Several of these islands have discrepancies in the spelling of their names, depending on which scale of map is consulted.

Below, we take a closer look at the three sets of islands, starting with Soraigh, moving on to Roaiream, and finishing at Eilean Mòr - although the cruise visited in the opposite order.

Soraigh and Sgeir Toman

These islands, along with Sgeir Righinn to the south, are three islands which are set very much as if they were once a complete landmass.

Roaiream, Eilean a’ Ghobha and Bròna Cleit

Roaiream stands 52m above sea level and is the largest (but not highest) of the western group of Flannan Isles. As well as being a breeding ground for gannets, it has some rather spectacular natural arches. Eilean a’ Ghobha is a couple of metres higher than Roaiream and is lumpier and rounder. The westernmost of the islands is Bròna Cleit, which I do not appear to have photographed in any great detail. (I had travelled without a map and was not au fait with gridsquare boundaries!)

An overview of all these western islands:


Roaiream:



Eilean a’ Ghobha and Bròna Cleit:

Eilean Mòr and neighbours

Eilean Mòr

The chief island of the Flannans is Eilean Mòr, which rises to 88m above sea level and contains numerous objects of human activity over the centuries. Most obvious is the lighthouse and its associated infrastructure, with railway-track links to the two landing stages and, representing more modern-day modes of transport, a helipad. There are also relics of a much more distant age.

Before we look at these items in detail, let’s have a look at some general views of, and over, the island.

Eastern landing stage

There are two landing stages on the island. One is towards the southwest of the island and I understand it is far less straightforward to disembark and ascend than from the southeast landing, which is the one we used.

Even so, it is not just a question of a gentle stroll and great care needs to be taken on the hazardous steps. Some have worn away to nothing more than a 45º slope, and there is no barrier between the steps and a plunge into the sea!

The railway trackbed

Built at the same time as the lighthouse, in the mid-1890s, the railway tracks are a prominent feature of the island, conspicuous by their concrete casing which today forms the path to the lighthouse from the landings.

The railways would have been used to winch supplies up from the delivering ships. This would have been hard work, especially given the gradient at the lower part of the routes.

In the 1960s, the rails were removed when a ‘Gnat’ was brought into use on the island - this was a three wheeled vehicle, fitted with rubber tyres, which was brought up the remaining concrete path by way of a winch and guide wire above.

The Gnat itself was redundant in September 1971, when the lighthouse was automated and lighthousekeepers no longer therefore resided on the island. At the same time as the automation, a helipad was constructed - with supplies no longer needed on a regular basis and only routine or emergency attention required. Nevertheless the path of the original railway tracks is still very much discernible, and on certain stretches the track and sleeper positions are gradually becoming infilled with grass or mayweed.


From the junction of the tracks, the other branch of the railway heads to the western landing:


There is also a separate path to the western landing, by way of narrow concrete steps:
And here is the helipad:

The lighthouse

The 25m-high lighthouse was built in the 1890s, stands close to the highest point of the island, and was first lit on 7 December 1899. The cost of construction, £6,914, included the railway tracks and landing stages.

Disaster struck the lighthouse barely a year after its coming into operation. On 15 December 1900 a ship, the Archtor, passed in bad weather and noted that the light was not operational. This was reported on her arrival at Oban. A routine visit planned for 20 December was impossible due to the weather and did not take place until Boxing Day. The lighthouse keepers were not there to greet them; provision boxes had not been laid out for replenishment; the flag was not flying; it was clear that something was amiss. There was no response to a blast on the ship’s horn.

On investigation, the west landing showed evidence of a great storm - broken boxes which were kept 30m up the cliff; railway tracks torn out of the concrete, turf ripped out over 10m from the cliff edge.

The keepers had kept their log up to 9a.m. on 15 December, suggesting that the mysterious disappearance occurred on that day. No bodies were ever found. It is assumed that two of the keepers were in the vicinity of that western landing and their colleague, learning of the impending storm, left the lighthouse unattended (this was against the rules), perhaps to warn the other two of the impending danger.

The chapel, the cairn and the shielings

In the centre of the island stands the little chapel, dedicated to an Irish monk, St. Flannan, after whom the islands themselves are also named. It is a simple, single-celled drystone building with a single entrance in its western end.


Further west, and situated on a northern promontory only a metre lower than the island’s highest point, a cairn was erected, presumably, on 30 October 1951 if we go by the inscription. It may, of course, be that the two named individuals inscribed the stone on the cairn which was already present.


Towards the western end of the island are two old shielings - shelters which would have been occupied by those tending to herds on the hillsides. To what extent that may have occurred here, I must admit I don’t know. One is particularly better preserved than the other - seen here with Roaiream in the background, and a view of the lighthouse through the little ‘window’ in the eastern side. These shielings probably became disused during the eighteenth century.


By the way, at this time of year, the western end of the island is absolutely overrun with puffin burrows. They are very hazardous underfoot and it would be easy to twist an ankle if care is not taken with each and every step. I imagine this would be one of the least convenient places in Britain to be taken injured!
I saw quite a number of puffins in flight but not from a suitable vantage point to capture them on camera.

Eilean Tighe and outliers

Neighbouring Eilean Mòr, Eilean Tighe is the second biggest of the Flannans and many seals and birds are to be seen around its shore or on its rocks.


Standing in the narrow channel between Eilean Mòr and Eilean Tighe are two smaller islands, Làmh an Sgeir Mhòir and Làmh a’ Sgeir Bheag...


... while a number of smaller outlying rocks, many unnamed, complete the group.

Information on visiting

I booked my trip with Seatrek (website: Link ). While many of their cruises, to St. Kilda and Scarp, for example, are run to a timetable published on their website, the Flannan cruise is not, so I had to contact them to check. (One man on my trip said he’d rung them, they said they’d not set the date yet, so he asked them to coincide it with his holiday!)

The cost (in 2012) was £90, with £45 payable at the time of booking. The remainder was taken on arrival at their harbourside office. If the weather prevents departure, an alternative cruise or refund is offered.

The trip sails from the harbour at Miavaig, on the road to Timsgarry.


There are other operators which also offer cruises to the Flannans. From memory, there is at least one sailing from Leverburgh, Isle of Harris.

Here is a final view of the islands before they go out of view as we round Gallan Head on the return to harbour.

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