Ardnamurchan lighthouse transfer is beacon of hope
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, at the most westerly point on the British mainland, is a towering 115-foot beacon to the brilliance of the famous Stevenson engineering dynasty.
The latest chapter in its history sees ownership of the lighthouse complex transferred from Highland Council to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust.
The community asset transfer was made possible by grant aid from the Scottish Land Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The site and associated buildings will be owned and managed by the trust on behalf of Ardnamurchan’s residents. The lighthouse tower, which is still operational, remains the property of the Northern Lighthouse Board.
Councillor Allan Henderson, Caol and Mallaig, chairman of the council’s communities and place committee, said the local authority was delighted to complete the transfer of the ownership of the land and buildings surrounding the lighthouse to the trust that has run it for many years.
‘The council is sure that the trust and the local community will make full use of the asset to protect its future and develop the range of facilities and services they provide on the site.
‘We wish them success in their future ventures,’ added
Councillor Henderson. Ardnamurchan Lighthouse has a long history of safeguarding mariners off Scotland’s west coast. Completed in 1849, the white granite tower was erected by Alan Stevenson, uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson.
The lighthouse complex has changed hands several times since its completion, but came into community ownership in 1996. Following a lengthy campaign led by Ardnamurchan residents, then councillor Dr
Michael Foxley persuaded the council to purchase the site from entrepreneur Peter de Savary. Under private ownership, the complex had not been fully accessible to the public.
The lighthouse group highlighted the site’s significance to Scotland’s cultural and maritime heritage and its value as a place for people to connect with coastal environments.
As the existing buildings transformed into a visitor attraction, the community volunteers became the constituted social enterprise Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust.
For more than 20 years, the trust operated the lighthouse complex in collaboration with the Northern Lighthouse Board.
In 2019, the trust was awarded £224,900 from the Scottish Land Fund to purchase the lighthouse complex and deliver much-needed emergency repairs. As part of this, the trust also appointed a dedicated project manager to push the multi-phase restoration forward.
Ritchie Dinnes, chairman of the trust, said: ‘Now, with the completion of our community asset transfer, the focal role of the lighthouse complex in our community has been strengthened.
‘This important change will help us to attract grant funding; allowing us to upgrade facilities at the site so that it can play an even bigger part in community life.’
The challenge of concluding this transfer was heightened by the ongoing pandemic. It has taken tenacity, sleepless nights, strong partnerships, and a collective vision of the huge potential this attraction has for buttressing Ardnamurchan’s remote rural economy.