Episode 010 - The Eilean Mor Lightkeepers

The story of the Eilean Mor lightkeepers is probably best described as a 'pseudo-mystery'. Most honest investigations will conclude that the men probably died via a rogue wave.

Probably.

There is just enough wiggle-room to allow doubt to take root. And though it’s important not to let one's imagination run wild into credulous fantasy, the process of constructing possible theories is both intellectually stimulating and healthy.

Who knows what insights can be brought to life by theorizing about an unknown?

Much has been made of the Archtor’s initial passing on the 15th and the delay in Captain Holman’s reporting of the light’s non-operation. A day or two after the Flannan Isle passing, the Archtor had suffered damage when nearly running aground on Carphie Rock, which delayed its arrival in the port of Leith, where the information regarding the darkened lighthouse was finally relayed (even though some sources indicate Captain Holman had already wirelessly telegraphed the information and received a response to the effect of ‘We’ll get around to it when we get around to it’).
Of course, by the time the Archtor arrived in the Flannans, the men were likely already gone., so the point is purely academic.

If anyone is wondering…William Ross, who had the good fortune of being out sick on the day of the tragedy, was transferred to the lighthouse on Eilean Glas, on the eastern coast of Scalpey Island in the Outer Hebrides. Sixteen months after the events at Eilean Mor, Ross dropped dead while on duty, presumably from a heart attack.

And, on an ancillary note, though Vincent Gaddis’ assessment of McArthur is well reasoned, he was mistaken when referring to McArthur as a ‘seaman’. McArthur was in fact a veteran of the British army.

Keith MacCloskey's book 'The Lighthouse' is an excellent history of not just the Eilean Mor lighthouse, but lighthouses in general. MacCloskey does not seem entirely convinced by the ‘rogue wave’ theory and sites either high winds or foul play as somewhat likely possibilities.

https://www.amazon.com/Lighthouse-Mystery-Eliean-Mor-Keepers-ebook/dp/B01HSFUK1S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548723896&sr=8-1&keywords=the+lighthouse+keith+mccloskey

Also, a very well sourced and well written essay on the whole affair by historian Mike Dash can be found here:
http://www.academia.edu/251736/The_Vanishing_Lighthousemen_of_Eilean_Mor

Music:

"Fluidscape" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Giant Wyrm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

"Skye Boat Song" Traditional, duet arranged by fiddlevideo.com (Hanneke Cassel and Casey Willis)

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