Hyskeir
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hyskeir (Scottish Gaelic:Òigh-sgeir) or Heyskeir () is a group of low-lying rocky islets (Gaelic ‘’sgeir’’= old Norse ‘’sker’’ = English skerry) composed of basalt columns. They are located in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland at the southern entrance to the Minch, 10 kilometres southwest of the island of Canna and 14 kilometres west of Rùm and is sometimes included with these as part of the Small Isles. They are unoccupied but a nesting site for terns and eiders and also has a large seal colony.
A 39 metre high lighthouse was built on the islands in 1904 to mark the southern end of the Minch and to warn of the presence of the Mills Rocks, Canna Island and Hyskeir itself. It was designed by David and Charles Stevenson and constructed by Oban contractor Messrs D & J MacDougall.
The white tower was manned until March 1997 when it became one of the last lighthouses in Scotland to be automated. The keepers briefly became well known for their one-hole golf course following their appearance on TV.
It is now controlled from the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh. The lantern is 41 metres above mean sea level and displays three white flashes every thirty seconds.
Garbh Sgeir is a rock that lies next to the islet.
