Muckle Skerry
Encyclopedia
Muckle Skerry is the largest of the Pentland Skerries
that lie off the north coast of Scotland
. It is home to the Pentland Skerries Lighthouse.
Muckle Skerry lies in the Pentland Firth
at . It is the westernmost of the skerries. At one kilometre (three-fifths of a mile) long and rising to a height of 20 metres (66 feet) above sea level is sizable enough to be considered an island
. However the notoriously bad weather of the firth have historically rendered Muckle Skerry uninhabitable and as such it is more often thought of as a skerry
.
Pentland Skerries Lighthouse was constructed in 1794 by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights
. The engineers were Thomas Smith
and his stepson by Robert Stevenson
(this was the first light that Stevenson officially worked on).
Pentland Skerries
The Pentland Skerries are a group of four uninhabited islands lying in the Pentland Firth, northeast of Duncansby Head and south of South Ronaldsay in Scotland....
that lie off the north coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is home to the Pentland Skerries Lighthouse.
Muckle Skerry lies in the Pentland Firth
Pentland Firth
The Pentland Firth , which is actually more of a strait than a firth, separates the Orkney Islands from Caithness in the north of Scotland.-Etymology:...
at . It is the westernmost of the skerries. At one kilometre (three-fifths of a mile) long and rising to a height of 20 metres (66 feet) above sea level is sizable enough to be considered an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
. However the notoriously bad weather of the firth have historically rendered Muckle Skerry uninhabitable and as such it is more often thought of as a skerry
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
.
Pentland Skerries Lighthouse was constructed in 1794 by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights
Northern Lighthouse Board
The Northern Lighthouse Board is the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for marine navigation aids around coastal areas.-History:...
. The engineers were Thomas Smith
Thomas Smith (engineer)
Thomas Smith was a Scottish businessman and early lighthouse engineer. Born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, his father drowned in Dundee harbour when he was young...
and his stepson by Robert Stevenson
Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)
Robert Stevenson FRSE MInstCE FSAS MWS FGS FRAS FSA was a Scottish civil engineer and famed designer and builder of lighthouses.One of his finest achievements was the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.-Early life:...
(this was the first light that Stevenson officially worked on).