The Eerie Past Of The Flannan Isles

Have you ever thought of just leaving it all and living on an island? Like maybe buy a lighthouse somewhere and live your isolation fantasy? You can, but before you pack your bags, you should know what happened to the lighthouse keepers of the Flannan Isles.

The Flannan Isles, located off the west coast of Scotland, is a group of around seven islands. A lighthouse stands on the island of Eilean Mor, manned by James Ducat, Thomas Marshall, and Donald MacArthur in 1900, writes Atlas Obscura. Eilean Mor is as isolated as it gets; its permanent inhabitants were sheep and most people ventured there to perform rituals in its chapel. In December that year, the ship Hesperus set sail for Eilean Mor, carrying supplies for the lighthouse and a reserve lighthouse keeper to relieve one of the men on the island. But what they found disturbed them.

According to Mental Floss, the replacement keeper, Joseph Moore, was surprised when none of the three lighthouse keepers greeted him upon arrival. Not only that, but the light did not shine atop the tower. The door of the lighthouse was unlocked and food still sat on the table. A clock had stopped and a chair was overturned. The lamp was prepared for lighting and one oilskin coat was left in the room. There was no sign of the men.

Moore ran back to the Hesperus to report the missing men. Moore and others from the boat combed the isolated island for any signs of the three. They found the west landing had considerable damage from a recent storm with bent iron railings and displaced heavy rocks, reports Atlas Obscura.

The superintendent of lighthouses, Robert Muirhead, who had hired all three men, went to the island to investigate. He found logs written by Marshall. Historic UK notes the records were unusual. It mentioned "severe winds the likes of which I have never seen," and noted both that Ducat had been quiet and MacArthur was crying. All three men were hardened seamen; they were unlikely to be fazed by storms. The logs reported a storm lasting for three days, but records did not show any storm. Even more concerning was that one of the men left without a coat. It was winter in Scotland. Going without a coat was unimaginable.

Suddenly, the story began taking on a more paranormal element. No bodies were ever found. There was no reported storm. All three men were experienced, yet they acted strangely.

The disappearance of the Flannan Isles lighthouse keepers fascinated people. It even inspired poets and an episode of Doctor Who, explains Mental Floss. People came up with their theories. Could it be vengeful ghosts roaming an island known for ancient rituals? Did one of the keepers go crazy and kill the others? Did a sea creature get them?

While the story certainly has mysterious and paranormal elements, there is a more logical explanation. According to History UK, Superintendent Muirhead noticed ropes were strewn all over the damaged western landing, ropes that normally held a supply crate. He decided two of the men must've been securing the box when a wave crashed and swept them away. The third must have tried to warn them but was taken by the wave too.

The wave theory is the one most researchers stick to as well, reports The Sunday Post. It turns out Marshall was previously fined five shillings for not securing equipment that washed away in a small storm. It's highly probable none of the men wanted to be fined again, so they tried to secure the crate. Besides, the lighthouse was new, so they may not have been familiar with its weather patterns yet.

So, you still want to buy that lighthouse on an isolated island?