![]() ![]() Candidates with working knowledge of mechanics and who had regular habits also had an advantage, but the most favoured were those with the necessary emotional qualifications of self-discipline and patience. In part, their previous jobs reduced the need for training, but the military discipline of most sailors’ lives was also an asset. Where possible, the NLB tried to recruit those with some maritime experience – ex-naval and merchant seamen or retired fishermen. A love of details, an affection for the endless repetition of small tasks, a long-learned understanding of water, wind and tide, and a habit of mind able to cope with dull days and ferocious nights were all required. The necessary qualities for a lighthouse keeper were not the sort easily listed on a job description. It has been written as background reading for Odyssey Travellers Scotland’s West Coast small group tour, during which we visit several of Scotland’s lighthouses. Much of the information is sourced from Bella Bathurst’s book The Lighthouse Stevensons, as well as other sources linked to throughout. So, what was required to become a keeper of a Scottish lighthouse? What exactly were their myriad duties? And how difficult was the job? Read on to find out in our detailed article on what life was like for Scotland’s lighthouse keepers. But it also certainly had its advantages: a certain income, a free furnished house with all repairs and taxed paid, coal, candle, clothing, and land for a couple of cows or an equivalent in money. The job was a peculiar one, with various duties requiring resourcefulness and the ability to cope in isolated and often cramped conditions for long periods of time. In its heyday during the 1890s, the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) employed over 600 keepers in the 80 or so lighthouses speckled around the coast and kept a waiting list of over 200 hopeful applicants. These days they are all automated, but for over 200 years they were manned by ever-watchful keepers presiding over the treacherous waters below. The Lives of Scotland’s Lighthouse Keepersįor generations Scottish lighthouses have lighted the dark and dangerous seas along the spectacular coasts of the country.
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