Along the rugged, remote coast of the Flannan Islands in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, the story of the mysterious disappearance of the Eilean Mor lighthouse keepers has been told for years. This blood-curdling story has baffled researchers and stimulated the imagination of adventurers for over a century.
Eilean Mor, one of the Flannan Islands, is an isolated and abandoned place. In the late 19th century, it became home to a lighthouse, a key navigational marker for ships navigating the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic. It was here, in December 1900, that three experienced lighthouse keepers inexplicably disappeared.
On December 15, 1900, Captain James Harvey and his crew aboard the ship Archtor arrived on the island to deliver supplies and a change of personnel for the lighthouse. On site, they found a well-maintained but abandoned building. Three guards - Thomas Marshall, James Ducat, and Donald McArthur - disappeared without a trace.
Additionally, the lighthouse's journal contained disturbing entries that put the whole matter in a bizarre light.
"December 12. Gale from northwest to west. Sea raging furiously. I have never seen such a storm. Waves very high. Lighthouse hit. All is well. James Ducat exasperated."
This entry is troublesome for several reasons. First, Marshall describes a storm of unprecedented severity, noting that he had "never seen such a storm" during his two decades of service at the lighthouse. However, when weather records from nearby locations were examined, there was no evidence of a storm matching Marshall's description. It looked as if the storm was confined to Eilean Mor.
The mention that James Ducat was "exasperated" raises further questions. Why was Ducat irritated and what could have caused such a mood in the middle of a violent storm? Was there an incident or misunderstanding between the guards that went unreported?
The last entry is from December 13, 1900, just a day after Marshall's account of the storm. It is attributed to Marshall and reads simply: "The storm is over, the sea is calm. God is above all." This entry is ominous in its brevity. The diary entries, with their inconsistencies and sudden changes in tone, became a trail of clues in the mystery of Eilean Mor's lighthouse keepers.
Countless theories have emerged over the years. Some suggest the men were swept away by a freak wave, while others play with the idea of being abducted by foreign spies. Supernatural explanations range from ghostly apparitions to sea monsters, mermaids, and curses. Their fate was never known, but unless they plunged into the sea depths as a group, it is difficult to explain this mystery logically.
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