THE EILEAN MOR LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

The Eilean Mor Lighthouse, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Thomas Marshall was the head lighthouse-keeper of the Eilean Mor Lighthouse of the west coast of Scotland on December 15th 1900, when the lighthouse was just one year old.  His two crew members were James Ducat and Thomas McArthur. It was a very lonely life, as the men were completely isolated for months at a time on the rocky outcrop.  

One day the light ceased to shine for several days, and the local community, who were very worried for the crew, decided to send out a boat to see what was wrong. On the 26th December a boat set out for the rock.  But on arriving instead of their usual welcome they were met with no sign of life.  They searched the whole of the island including the lighthouse but nothing could be found of the men.  Everything was just as it should be apart from an unusual piece of seaweed that no-one had seen before.

They left with the lighthouse log and went back to the mainland. At the inquiry into the disappearance of the three men, the last few entries from the log were read out to the court. They read:

12th December:  ` Gale north by northwest.  Sea lashed to fury. Never seen such a storm. Waves very high. Tearing at lighthouse. Everything shipshape. James Ducat irritable.`

Later:  ` Storm still raging, wind steady. Stormbound. Cannot go out. Ship passing sounding foghorn. Could see lights of cabins. Ducat quiet. Donald McArthur crying.`

12th December:  ` Storm continued through night. Wind shifted west by north. Ducat quiet. McArthur praying.`

Later:  `Noon, grey daylight. Me, Ducat and McArthur prayed.`

14th December:   No entry in log.

15th December:  ` Storm ended, sea calm. God is over all.`

What had the men been so afraid of?  Whatever it was it seems that at the first opportunity they had abandoned their post and set off in the lighthouse`s boat.  The storm must have been exceptional because they were experienced men who were used to very rough seas.  There was something very unusual about this storm because on the nearby island of Lewis, less than 20 miles away, there hadn`t been a storm. Then there was the last entry  --- ` God is over all.` What did it mean ? 

The mystery is deepened by another piece of evidence that was submitted to the inquiry.  On the night of 15th December, two sailors on a ship passing near the lighthouse had been wondering why it was in darkness, when they spotted a boat being rowed by three men dressed in their heavy weather clothing.  It was a moonlit night and they watched as the boat passed under their bow.  They called out to the men, thinking them in difficulty, but there was no reply. The only sound was the sound of their rowlocks as they set about their urgent mission.

Where were they heading..............and why?