A letter about the Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers’ disappearance will go on show for the first time at National Records of Scotland (NRS) in August.
Three men vanished from Eilean Mòr, west of the Isle of Lewis, in December 1900. The investigation into their disappearance concluded that they were likely washed into the sea by a powerful wave. Now their story will help put the high risk but life-saving work of lightkeepers into the spotlight in the exhibition For the Safety of All: Scotland's Lighthouses.
The exhibition focuses on the story of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses and the Bell Rock lighthouse off the Angus coast. The Bell Rock is the world’s oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse. The exhibition will look at the engineering challenges that were overcome to position the tower where it was needed.
The tragedy on the Flannan Isles will feature through the letter from Joseph Moore, Assistant Lightkeeper. In the letter he concludes two of his colleagues were dressed for bad weather and a third left in shirt sleeves - suggesting haste. He noted heavy iron railings had been damaged and mooring equipment moved about but the lighthouse itself was in good order.
Archivist Jessica Evershed said: “Scotland's coastal waters are among the most beautiful and treacherous in the world. They have fed and sustained communities for centuries but they also claimed many lives.
"The records in the exhibition are from those we hold for the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses. They allow us to look at a range of themes from the challenges of building the offshore Bell Rock lighthouse to lighthouses in wartime. It's a story of inspirational engineering but also tenacious dedication and courage.”
The exhibition will take place in the Adam Dome at General Register House, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY. Admission is free. It will be open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm, from 3 August to 25 September 2026 and during Doors Open Day on Saturday 26 September 2026, 10am to 4pm.
The exhibition is suitable for all ages and will run as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026. A transcript of the letter can be viewed on the Northern Lighthouse Board website.
