The Eilean Mor Lighthouse
On 26 December 1900, the relief vessel Hesperus arrived at the Flannan Isles lighthouse on Eilean Mor, a remote rock in the Outer Hebrides. The lighthouse was dark. The flag was not flying. No one came to the landing. The relief keeper went ashore and found the living quarters empty. A meal had been prepared but not eaten. Two sets of oilskins were missing. One set remained. The logbook contained entries up to 15 December, with the final entry describing strong winds and one of the three keepers uncharacteristically distressed. Thomas Marshall, James Ducat and Donald MacArthur were never seen again.
Last log entry
15 December 1900.
Discovery
26 December 1900, by the relief vessel Hesperus.
Missing
Thomas Marshall, James Ducat, Donald MacArthur.
Condition
Meal prepared, one set of oilskins left behind, door open.
Investigation
Northern Lighthouse Board concluded a freak wave event. No bodies found.
"The kitchen was in order but the meal was not finished and the clock had stopped. I do not understand it. I cannot account for it.
"Joseph Moore
The Northern Lighthouse Board concluded the men were swept off the rocks by an unexpected wave while securing equipment during the storm. The missing oilskins support this theory partially.
The third oilskin left behind suggests one man left the lighthouse in a hurry, without dressing for the weather. This detail has never been satisfactorily explained by the wave theory.