Cape Wrath Lighthouse was engineered by Robert Stevenson, established in 1828 and automated in 1998. Its tower is 20 metres high, stands 122 metres above the sea and can be seen for 24 miles. It gives 4 white flashes every 30 seconds.

Cape Wrath must be one of the most desolate and isolated areas of the British mainland. To reach it totally by road is not possible. Near the village of Durness, with its beautiful beaches and cliffs, right on the north coast of Scotland, is the small Keoldale passenger ferry – just a motor boat, which, if the tide permits, will carry you across the Kyle of Durness to the near side of the Cape Wrath headland.   In past times, of course, both the lighthouse and the coastguard station were very much dependent upon this ferry.  While the ferry operation was a private concern, the NLB expended a considerable amount of money on the  landing facilities and paid an annual sum towards its maintenance and the ferryman’s pay. (see Cape Wrath Archives)

Crossing the Kyle is in itself, an experience. On a good summer’s day, the water is crystal clear, the sand is a rich coral colour and these, together with a bit of sunshine combine to produce the most wonderful shades of gold, turquoise and aquamarine. On a winter’s day, however, the picture is very different – if, in fact, there is anything visible at all!  Nowadays, on the jetty on the Cape Wrath side, one of two dilapidated mini-buses picks up passengers to bump their way on a rough twisty track, through some twelve miles of wild moorland, up and down hill, with the track at places running along the edge of some quite steep drops, across a couple of rickety bridges, until at last the Cape itself is reached.

Once upon a time, this journey would have been undertaken by horse, with or without a cart.  In 1921, after the current horse went lame and was no longer fit for use, a proposal was put forward to replace it with a “light motor lorry”.  This was the reply to the proposal: “I think the suggestion is a very good one but would not be suitable under present conditions.  There is the question of the Dall River which would have to be bridged with a plank bridge and on the Sherwick Bridge there are only six inches spare room with the present trap and the approaches to it would have to be made up as on the Durness side if you are taking it coming down the hill with a quick turn.  No doubt if these defects could be made good and the rest of the road were in proper repair then it would mean a great saving to have a light lorry. We have considered the matter carefully and decide that meantime a horse is most suitable". (A new horse was purchased and a letter sent confirming the old one had been shot and buried.)

"Wrath" incidentally, has nothing to do with wild weather. It actually comes from the Norse word "Hvarf", meaning "Turning Point", the place where the north coast ends, and ships turn left to follow the coastine southwards. On a good day, it is a wonderful view from the top and it is interesting to see just how many cargo vessels still travel along the Scottish north coast, whose waters are some of the most dangerous around the British Isles. However, even on the good day when we visited, it felt exposed. What it must be like in winter can scarcely be imagined.

Yet it was to Cape Wrath that John Clyne, his wife Isabella, 3-year old Isa and 2-year old Alexander were posted in November 1889, one of the bleakest times of the year. I suppose they travelled by horse and cart for at least the last part of their journey. To make matters even worse, my grandmother was seven months pregnant! What was in her mind when eventually they arrived? How would they manage, with no doctor within easy reach, no school, no amenities, no help? They must have coped however, for Isabella had her next child, William, in January 1890 and another, John, in 1891. When we visited, we worried about our dog losing her footing on the cliffs. What of a young family? We can only assume that the four toddlers were strictly confined within the walls of the keepers’ cottages, with the gates securely fastened. (Sadly, both Alex and John who safely survived their time at Cape Wrath, were many years later to be “lost at sea”.)  

One of Isabella’s duties, during the later part of their time in Cape Wrath, would have been to begin to teach the little Isa. The education of Lighthouse children was taken very seriously by the Northern Lighthouse Board. This was checked regularly, sometimes during the annual visit by the Commissioners, and  sometimes by an appointed "Missionary". A few years before the arrival of the Clyne family, one such Missioner to Cape Wrath wrote,  "I have been careful to assemble each morning and evening at such time as suited the convenience of the Lightkeepers, all the inmates of the establishment for devotional exercises. These generally embraced, 1^st, the singing of a psalm or hymn, 2^nd, the reading a portion of Holy Scripture accompanied either by a short commentary on the leading subject matter of the chapter or an exposition of a particular text and lastly, prayer. At those stations where the children were somewhat advanced in years and in general intelligence, I varied our morning exercise by substituting a short catechetical examination on religious subjects. It affords me sincere pleasure to be able to report most favourably regarding the increasing interest the Lightkeepers at most of the stations are taking in the education of their children. I arrived at Cape Wrath on the 18^th of June and remained until the 30^th of the month. The Lighthouse is situated in the Parish of Durness and is 14 miles distant from the Church. The Principal Keeper is a married man. He has three children who reside with him. The youngest is a mere child. The two eldest girls, I found particularly well educated. The Lightkeepers get to church about twice each year."

 

In later years, because of its remoteness, Cape Wrath Lighthouse Station was classed in the same category as the offshore stations – in other words, keepers would do four weeks on duty at the lighthouse and then four weeks off duty at the Lighthouse Shore Station in Golspie, Sutherland. However, in the time of John Clyne, no such concessions were made.

The day we visited Cape Wrath, we left after a couple of hours - just long enough for the wind to begin to penetrate, even on a summer's day - on a very overcrowded minibus. Too many people had opted to wait for the penultimate run of the day – so there were strangers sitting on each other's laps, a rather well-spoken lady perched on the spare wheel in the aisle, and three large dogs who had all enjoyed exercising amongst the sheep droppings and whatever else, perched happily on accommodating laps. After an hour's bouncing and swinging, when our cramped party eventually bumped back to the ferry, we felt we knew each other intimately! 

 Kyleakin   St_Abbs