THE FLANNAN ISLES 251 



there in the autumn of 1904, during which period we 

 resided in the lighthouse, by permission graciously 

 granted by the Commissioners for Northern Light- 

 houses. 



The Flannan Islands, known also as The Seven 

 Hunters, form a small group of uninhabited isles, lying 

 from 20 to 23 miles west of Gallan Head, Island of 

 Lewis, and 40 miles north-east of St Kilda, with the 

 exception of which they are among the most western 

 islands of Great Britain. 



They may be said to form two groups — an eastern 

 one, comprising Eilean Mor, Eilean Tigh, Soraidh, 

 and one that is nameless ; and the western one, composed 

 of Rhoderheim, Bronna Cleit, and Eilean Gobba. In 

 addition there are several skerries and rocks. The 

 seven main islands are precipitous, rising on all sides 

 direct from the ocean ; and this fact, together with their 

 exposed situation, renders them extremely difficult to 

 land upon. There are probably no wilder spots to be 

 found in the British seas. 



The lighthouse is situated on Eilean Mor, the most 

 northerly of the eastern group. This isle is entirely girt 

 by a belt of cliff, highest on the north and east, where it 

 attains to a height of 282 feet, and lowest and mostly 

 under 200 feet on the south. Thus the top of the 

 island is an elevated plateau, sloping towards the 

 south, and has an area of 16 acres, clothed with grass 

 and sea-pink, and with here and there bare patches 

 of peaty turf and exposed rock (Lewisian gneiss). 

 Where not actually precipices, the banks facing the 

 sea are extremely steep, indeed all but perpendicular, 

 and are clothed with a profuse growth of herbage, 

 chief among which is a marguerite {Chrysanthemum 



