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About this place
Dubh Artach Lighthouse rises from a lonely basalt skerry off Scotland's west coast, in Argyll and Bute, roughly 24 km south-west of the Ross of Mull. It ranks among the most isolated lighthouses in the British Isles: the tower climbs straight out of Atlantic swell, with no island beneath it to speak of.
What is Dubh Artach?
The rock lies about 29 km west of Colonsay and 24 km from the Ross of Mull. Thomas and David Stevenson, members of the engineering family behind many Scottish lighthouses, designed and built the tower, and its lamp was first lit on 1 November 1872. It stands about 44 m (around 145 ft) tall, an imposing height for such a small reef. The older spelling, Dhu Heartach, was replaced by the current form in 1964.
Why was it built here?
Reefs south-west of Mull had long claimed ships working the Scottish west coast. Building on a tiny, wave-swept skerry was among the hardest jobs the Northern Lighthouse Board ever took on. Dubh Artach was also Britain's first isolated rock lighthouse to burn paraffin.
What was the role of Erraid?
Construction was run from Erraid, a small island at the south-western tip of Mull. Stone was worked and shipped from there, and once the light was finished the island became the shore station, with cottages for keepers' families and the boat crew who supplied the rock. Traces of the station can still be seen, and the island is reachable on foot across a causeway exposed at low tide.
Is it a protected building?
Yes. Historic Environment Scotland lists it as a Category A building (reference LB12320), designated in 1971 in the parish of Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon. It also has a Canmore record (ID 123144). The light was automated in 1971, so no keepers live on the rock, and the Northern Lighthouse Board looks after it.
Can you visit?
No. The rock is remote, battered by heavy seas, and landings happen only during lighthouse-service operations. For travellers, the practical way to connect with its story is a trip to the Ross of Mull and Erraid. Take the ferry from Oban to Craignure on Mull, then follow the road along the Ross of Mull to Fionnphort.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go inside Dubh Artach Lighthouse? No. It is automated and closed to visitors.
Who built it and when? Thomas and David Stevenson; the light was first lit on 1 November 1872.
Where exactly is it? About 24 km south-west of the Ross of Mull, in Argyll and Bute, on a basalt skerry in the Atlantic.
Where can I see traces of its history? On Erraid, the former shore station at the south-western end of Mull.
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