Description

Alan Stevenson, built mainly 1837-40, for the construction and servicing/maintenance of Skerryvore Lighthouse.

Buildings constructed mainly of large masonry blocks, roofrs either flat or slated. Principal elements - as named in Stevenson's own published plan of 1848 (reproduced in Inventory) - are;

HARBOUR: all built of rock-faced ashlar; DOCK: with guiding rails of original locking gate (latter now gone), also hand operated derrick.

PIER: extends from west side.

SEAMEN'S BARRACKS: (originally worker's housing, now privately owned); a 2-storey row, stepped to slope, deep on plan; gabled and slated, lower courtyard buildings to rear.

KEEPER'S HOUSES (Upper Square): distinctive and solid looking, like other lighthouse keeper's housing by Stevenson, and with Egyptianised detail; single storey, flat roofed, ashlar faced, massive doorways, rank of stacks at wallhead, small walled gardens.

SIGNAL TOWER (now a museum): (20th century) plaque gives date 1843, inscription "...in use from 1844 to 1937 for signalling by semaphore to Skerryvore Lighthouse...". Circular tower, deep corbelled cornice/ platform near top; ashlar; also windowed at top.

STORES: long single storey row, stepped to slope.

RESERVOIR: used for flushing silt from dock basin, and still (1989) operational, with underground conduit; dam is irregular on plan, with stone faced walls.

STORE: close to harbour; long single storey block, rectangular in plan with cross walls. Series of flat-lintelled openings facing south. Built of pinned squared rubble.

COAL STORE: is now (1989) neglected; also series of GARDEN WALLS AND ENCOSURES AND SMALL PERIPHERAL BUILDINGS.

Statement of Interest

A group of buildings unique in Scotland and surviving in near unaltered condition. Up-graded Category B to A 15 August, 1989.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17574984

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]