Fancy a job at the end of the world?
£24k post at remote lighthouse on offer
MANY of us dream of escaping the rat race to live far from the city crowds.
And if such splendid isolation sounds like heaven to you, then this could be the perfect job.
Based in a lighthouse perched on the edge of the British Isles, it is one of the most remote offices in the world.
The community group that operates the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Visitor Centre on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Argyll is hoping to recruit a project manager.
Instead of packed trains or gridlocked traffic, the commute is a 100-yard stroll from the house that comes with the £24,000 salary.
Davie Ferguson, manager of the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust, said: ‘In winter we are not open to the public, so you are there on your own, just you and the minke whales and dolphins. It’s remote, but that appeals to some folk.’
The lighthouse, built in 1849, was designed by Alan Stevenson, the uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, whose family designed most of Scotland’s lighthouses over a 150-year period.
It is the world’s only remaining lighthouse of Egyptian design and its 120ft granite tower stands 180ft above the rocks.
The project manager will live in one of the original keepers’ cottages, also designed by Stevenson. Mr Ferguson said: ‘They will live in what was originally the assistant keeper’s house from the 1800s.
‘I used to live at the keepers’ cottages and I liked it. The house is fine. The walls are 2ft thick granite, so when the wind is howling you cannot hear it.’
The trust has been in operation for more than 20 years and Mr Ferguson said: ‘We had a long lease on the grounds and the buildings from Highland Council. Through community asset transfer we have bought the ground so we have an opportunity to improve our facilities, to maybe expand our museum and to do more catering. We only have a coffee shop but are looking to make it a restaurant.
‘The demand is there as we are attracting around 20,000 people in the season. We have doubled visitor numbers.’
Mr Ferguson said there is the potential for more visitors and while the existing facilities are limited the garden and grounds could be developed.
He added: ‘The project manager’s job is to tie all the ideas together, to see what will work with the community. It’s a fixed term role for 18 months.’
Like the other lighthouses north of the Border, the one at Ardnamurchan now operates automatically, but the tower remains fully operational and still plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of ships navigating the waters off the west coast.
The former lighthouse keepers’ cottages and outbuildings, where the role is based, have been managed by the trust since 1996, with the visitor centre giving people the chance to learn more about the peninsula.