North Ronaldsay Trust has been awarded £300,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the next stage of its development of the lighthouse buildings on the island.
The work will include refurbishment of the former lightkeepers’ houses, and the development of an interpretation centre with educational resources for schools.
The lighthouse itself continues to operate as a major aid to navigation operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board. Following conversion to automatic operation in 1998, the Trust acquired the three former lightkeepers' houses and workshop buildings from the Board. The Heritage Lottery Fund award will enable two of the houses to be refurbished for holiday lets, and interpretation facilities to be provided in part of the third one.
In addition, interpretation boards will also be developed for other sites in the area, including the old lighthouse, Bewan Pier, and the disused foghorn. The foghorn itself will be renovated for display.
The old lighthouse was one of the first four to be established in Scotland, and was built by Thomas Smith, assisted by his son-in-law, Robert Stevenson. Stevenson’s nephew, Alan, built the present-day lighthouse in 1854.
The story of North Ronaldsay’s lighthouses brings in much of Orkney’s maritime history. The loss on an island reef of the Swedish East Indiaman Svecia in 1740 led to the charting of the waters around Orkney by Murdoch Mackenzie, the father of modern hydrography. Mackenzie’s call for a lighthouse to be built in North Ronaldsay led in turn to the establishment of the Northern Lighthouse Board, who built the old lighthouse in 1789.
That lighthouse was too near the water, and its beam could all too easily be misinterpreted as a reassuring sign of a ship in safe waters. Its successor, built on higher ground by Alan Stevenson, is Britain’s tallest land-based lighthouse.
The package of work being undertaken by the North Ronaldsay Trust will include a strong educational element, with sound archives, a CD of material, and an educational pack for school pupils visiting the island.
The total cost of the work is £554,000, and the Trust is in discussion with various bodies, including Orkney Enterprise, about the remainder of the funding required.
Trust Chairman Mr William Muir said this week that he was delighted with the support that the island had received from the various funding bodies. “We worked hard to make the case,” he said, “and it was a team effort, with valued support from the various agencies and professional advisers. We wanted to make the story of the lighthouse accessible to everyone, and particularly pupils and teachers, and of course to encourage more people to visit the island.”
Colin McLean, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager for Scotland, said: "This project is a great example of how much-loved but disused buildings can be returned to the heart of communities. As well as restoration works, the history of the lighthouse will be brought to life and the letting of the cottages will be a great way to bring the buildings back into use."
Notes to the editor
The North Ronaldsay Trust is a company limited by guarantee and registered in Scotland. The Trust has been established to promote the island and, in particular, the built and natural heritage. The Trust has six nominated members from various bodies, including Orkney Islands Council, the Northern Lighthouse Board, and the North Ronaldsay Estate, as well as various representatives from within the island. It also carries out study visits to other islands, which have included Fair Isle and Gigha.
Other activities undertaken by the Trust include organising public tours to the lighthouse, cycle hire for visitors, and events such the Island Weekend, the North Ronaldsay Fun Run, and the North Ronaldsay Folk Festival. In 2004 the Trust organised a celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of the building of the new lighthouse.