FAIR ISLE

The visit of the Crofters Commission to Fair Isle on Saturday the 3rd September, proved an extremely interesting experience to those who had the privilege of forming one of the party. Fair Isle is a veritable terra incognita to most Shetlanders. One gets a glimpse of it as the mail steamer passes north or south, but few excursion parties ever think of making Fair Isle their terminus, and thus the island is rarely ever visited except by those whose business leads them thither. Yet the pleasure-seeker would find himself amply repaid by a visit to the island, and the North of Scotland Steamship Company might do worse than send one of their steamers on a special excursion trip to it some time during the summer months, when moderate weather might be reckoned upon.

THE VOYAGE TO THE LONELY ISLE.

The s.s. Earl of Zetland had been chartered by the Commissioners to take them to the island. Eight o’clock on Saturday morning was the sailing hour but it was half-an-hour after this time before the Earl got underweigh. The party on board consisted of Sheriff Brand; Mr Watson, and Mr Meiklejohn, assessors; Mr Mackenzie, secretary to the Commission; two other members of the staff; Mr Thomson, solicitor, Kirkwall, agent for the crofters, &c. The weather was fairly moderate, and the steamer had a good run down to Grutness, where a boat came out to meet her having on board Mr Bruce of Sumburgh, proprietor of Fair Isle; Mr R. H. Isbister; and Dr Stuart, medical officer for the Dunrossness district which includes Fair Isle, and who took advantage of the trip to make a professional visit to the island. Between Sumburgh Head and Fair Isle the sea was not altogether what landsmen would call smooth, but the passage was short, and to those who had not got on their sea-legs no doubt its shortness was its chief recommendation. The vessel arrived off the island about 1.45. Two boats had come out to take off the passengers, one being a large ship’s boat used by the lighthouse contractors, and the other, one of the native skiffs.

FAIR ISLE HARBOURS.

Fair Isle is provided with two harbours, though, as a matter of fact, they are scarcely worthy the name. The north harbour is on the north-east coast of the island, and here, when the wind is blowing from a southerly direction, a landing can be effected with ease. It is, however, only used by small craft, as no steamer ever ventures to enter it, and it may be taken for granted by anyone who wishes to get either off or on the steamer, that he will stand no chance of effecting his object except the weather is suitable for the south harbour. It is here where the boats are mostly kept, and as the steamer generally approaches pretty close to the entrance, the landing is not difficult, when the wind is northerly. But with a southerly wind, the task is no easy one. The harbour is a mere bite out of the coastline, and is exposed to the full roll of the ocean swell, which makes it impossible for any vessel to remain in it with safety. This is the reason why the islanders are forced to confine themselves to "Yoles" with which to pursue their fishing. It would be impossible to save boats of a larger class. We saw drawn up on the beach a big boat which was tried some years ago, but the use of which had to be abandoned because of the want of anchorage. It is believed that on the western side of the south harbour a small artificial harbour might be constructed which would afford sufficient shelter for a few decked boats and such like craft, but the cost seems insuperable. A gentleman who surveyed the place informed us that the undertaking would swallow up £7000 or £8000, and where a round sum like that is to come from it would be difficult to say. The Fair Islanders, however, sigh for something of the kind, and there is no doubt it would be a considerable boon to them, if it could be got. As it is, they use nothing but their skiffs, either in fishing or in boarding passing vessels. These skiffs look as if they had been built as

A SPECIAL TEMPTATION OF PROVIDENCE.

They are only 16ft. keel, 22ft. 9in. overall and 21in. depth amidships, constructed of ¾in. boards, and as they surge up on the top of a billow and disappear in the hollow, one scarcely expects to see them again. But they are wonderfully buoyant, and the Fair Islanders manage them with amazing dexterity. As boatmen, indeed, the islanders would be difficult to equal anywhere. They go as far off as 15 miles to board a vessel, and formerly, they used to proceed to Orkney in these skiffs. In their boats they are as nimble as bees, and they came alongside the Earl as though she had been lying at anchor. There was quite as much swell on as when the Commissioners landed at Foula in 1889, but the landing was effected here without the slightest fuss, for "they manage these things better" in Fair Isle than in Foula, where the people are not so accustomed to boarding vessels. The first evidence of the work that has been carried out in Fair Isle by the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners, was seen at the landing-place, where a substantial stone pier has been erected, and near thereto a large store for the storage of lighthouse goods. A crowd of people had gathered at the shore to witness the landing of the strangers, in whose visit, as was natural, much interest seemed to be taken. The Commissioners’ party got comfortable quarters at the lightkeepers’ houses at the south end, within a short distance of the landing place.

THE LIGHTHOUSES.

The first object that attracts the attention of the visitor as he lands, is the south end lighthouse. Fair Isle has a terrible wreck chart, since the day when the "El Gran Grifon," of the Spanish Armada, was dashed to pieces upon its rock-bound coast. But instead of a terror, it will now serve as a guide to the tempest-tossed mariner, and ere long it will also serve as an occasional means of communication between him and home. The advisability of erecting a lighthouse on the island has long been in contemplation, but once decided upon, it has been carried out with astonishing celerity. It was only in July, 1891, that the work was commenced, and now it is all but completed, the whole operations comprising two towers with lights of the first order, lightkeepers’ houses at north and south end, fog-signal houses and machinery, piers at north and south harbours, and a good road from end to end of the island, of about four miles in length. When the remoteness of the island and the difficulty of landing material is considered, such a work accomplished in so short a time is very creditable to all concerned.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHAROS.

The south light is erected on low-lying point which bears the euphonious designation of Scaddan, from which the light will take its name. We were courteously shown through the place by Mr William Gordon, inspector of lighthouse apparatus, who is still on the island seeing to the finishing of the works. The light, which is supplied by a six-wick burner, is described as a "group flashing white light showing four flashes in quick succession every 40 seconds," there being an interval of half-a-minute between the groups. The top of the lantern is 86 feet above the ground, and the light is said to be visible 16 miles in clear weather. As regards the erection itself, it may be interesting to state that the central portion of the apparatus is the old apparatus that came out of the May light, when it was altered from a fixed to a revolving light. The different sections of which a lighthouse is composed, and the delicate and beautiful machinery connected with it, are the work of many different artificers. In this case, the lantern and parapet come from the workshop of Messrs Milne & Son, Edinburgh; the machine (large clockwork machine for regulating the speed of the apparatus) is by Messrs James Dove & Co., Edinburgh; while the apparatus comes from as far away as Paris, being the work of Messrs Barbier & Co. The whole is designed by the Messrs Stevenson, Edinburgh, engineers to the Lighthouse Board. The Visitor’s Book bears the entry, "This light was exhibited to the mariner on the night of 7^th January 1892." It would not be imagined that the book already contains about 150 names, yet such is the case. The present light-keepers are Mr Wallace, principal of both stations (an Orkneyman); Mr D. Dawson; and Mr Andrew Ollason (who hails from Bressay), and three more pleasant or more agreeable keepers could not be found in the service. There is to be a fourth hand at this station, and there will be three keepers at the north station when it is in operation. This in itself is no inconsiderable addition to the population of Fair Isle, and it is expected that the number will still further be increased shortly by the establishment of a Lloyds’ Signal Station on the island. A site for this has been secured at the south end. As many as sixteen sail have been seen passing the island in one day, principally bound westward, so that Fair Isle will be a signal-station of some importance. The whole lighthouse works have been carried out by Messrs A. Morrison & Sons, Edinburgh (who had the contract for Lerwick Harbour Works). Mr Muir has been foreman of the works, and Mr W. Nicolson has performed the duties of inspector. Nearly all the workmen have now left, but the overseers still remain in the island. Besides sending out the warning beams of light to guard the mariner off the rocks, Fair Isle will also in times of fog give forth "no uncertain sound" as to its existence, by means of

FOG HORNS,

which have been erected in connection with each lighthouse. An old "haaf" fisherman, if he heard a blast from the Fair Isle syren, would not think much of his "looder horn" afterwards. The first blast of a syren ever heard in Lerwick harbour is said to have startled all the Bressay cows out of their wits and out of their halters, but the Fair Isle kine are of a more placid temperament, and they are said to pursue their bovine slumbers undisturbed by the fierce shrieks of the horn. It may be imagined, however, that when, in time of fog, the piercing shrieks of the southern syren are answered by the plaintive wails from its northern brother, Fair Isle will be more like a Pandemonium than like the peaceful "desert spot" of the poet’s description. The machinery required for the fog-signals is erected in a large building underneath the tower. Each is wrought by three of Priestman Brothers’ oil engines, ordinary lighthouse paraffin oil being used. The engines and air compressors are combined, pumping up a pressure of air to 20 lbs. per square inch, conveyed to the sounding receiver, where it is worked by clock gear to the syren. The clock gear is for the purpose of denoting the proper time of blast conveyed to the syren. The blasts are described as "low, high, low," and are calculated to be heard at the distance of

FROM 7 TO 10 MILES,

according to the state of the weather. The south-end signal is completely finished, and the engine recently underwent a test of a run of 70 continuous hours under the inspection of Mr Gordon with the most satisfactory results. The signal, however, is not yet in actual operation, but it is to be advertised shortly. The north-end signal is in progress, and will shortly be completed. This part of the work has been executed by Messrs Priestman Brothers, Hull, under their foreman, Mr Freeman.