Unravelling the Eilean Mor Lighthouse Mystery

The Eilean Mor lighthouse mystery involves the unexplained disappearance of three lighthouse keepers—Thomas Marshall, James Ducat, and Donald McArthur—in December 1900. When a relief vessel arrived, the lighthouse was deserted, with no sign of the men. Later a magazine claimed the lighthouse log contained strange entries, mentioning severe storms (not recorded elsewhere) and the men's growing fear. The final log entry stated, "Storm ended, sea calm. God is over all."

Theories about the disappearance range from a rogue wave sweeping them away to paranormal activity, but no definitive explanation has ever been found, leaving their disappearance one of Scotland's enduring mysteries.

[WellINever]

Thank you for watching! It's really appreciated.

[rodmorrison]

This story is local to me, being born and living on Lewis and my father having been a fisherman. I believe that MacArthur saw the wave coming and went out to warn the others before being washed away with them. I think the details about the door and gate being closed were embellishments after the fact that gained traction from Wilfred Owens's telling of the tale. The weather up here is a law unto itself! Great presentation as ever.

[bettyfeliciano]

I’ve heard about this before. I don’t dare to speculate what happened to those poor souls, but I do know that weather is unpredictable and it changes all the time. Paul, great job at presenting this mystery of which we’ll never know the real truth. Blessings to you and your staff! 🙏❤️😊

[ThatPMacleod]

I grew up on Great Bernera which is one of the closest islands to the Flannan Isles, and on a clear day you can just about see them on the horizon. The remoteness of these islands cannot be overstated, there is nothing but the open sea out there and you are completely at the mercy of nature. Even when I was young it was still a mystery that was talked about and everyone knew of the lighthouse keepers that lost their lives on Eilean Mor.
Thank you for covering this piece of history that was part of my childhood.

[elizawright]

I miss my grandad telling me stories, he loved history. Thank you for your videos :)

[ruthstevens]

That is undoubtedly the best telling of this happening. Well done; yet again.

[rigger]

I absolutely love history stories like this. My grandfather was ex merchant marine, later Royal Navy. He used to sail around the Cape of Good Hope in sailing ships. He was also at Nova Scotia / Halifax when that dreadful explosion occurred where he was decorated for saving a number of men from a sunken trawler.

[llouie]

What speaks to me is that many hypotheses center on them looking out for one another - yes don't abandon the light, but still rushing to warn their colleagues or trying to keep someone from hurting themselves

[angelabrothers]

No better story teller than yourself Mr. Brodie. Thank you for sharing 😊🇨🇦

[kathrinfisher]

Just on my way home from work can't wait to watch this when I get in, with a nice cuppa 🎉❤ xx

[pimpozza]

I have always been fascinated by this creepy mystery! I really enjoyed your take on it, Paul.. 👍
I believe Marshall and Ducat were washed away by an abnormal wave and that McArthur met the same fate when he went out to search for his colleagues when they failed to return to the lighthouse..
Must admit though, it's extra creepy and intriguing to consider the supernatural theories! 💀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[normanmackenzie]

I was a schoolboy way back in the 60s on Lewis. The grandson of one of the keepers MacArthur, taught me at that time. He told us in around 1965/6 that his grandfather and 2 other keepers were swept away in a great storm that befell the island on that night/morning. The North Atlantic is a, or can be, a very violent place weather wise, as many seamen can attest to. I prefer to consider that, a rogue wave caught them by surprise.

[resarm]

Thank you, Paul! Love ❤️ listening to you speak, and tell stories!

[brianoneil]

If a Scotsman won't live there, it's got to be some serious supernatural forces going on.
This, as always, will be good👏

[danidavis]

As has been stated before, this is by far, the best telling of this story, sir. Always love your content and look forward to every upload!

[sarafleming]

I liked that you gave different scenarios of ‘why’ their demise. I didn’t realize the waves there could get THAT high, so I had previously dismissed that to be a possibility. Now I believe that to be the most likely reason they’re gone. Thank you for taking the time to research this event and presenting the video so well. ❤😊

[evapreu]

Thanks for including the study of the waves. While many tellings of this story mention the size of the waves, they usually don't consider that a wave crashing against an island with force can spray upwards incredibly high. If you've ever been on a rocky coast you know that even seemingly harmless waves reveal their force when they strike against an obstacle.

[janicestewart]

Thank you for taking us into this story.
I appreciate all you do. It's so odd to listen, feel a sense of calm all the while, and hearing chilling true stories that are far from calm.
xx

[richardl]

2 men working in oilskins and the 3rd rushing out to warn them of huge incoming waves seems the most plausible….

[SputnikDeb]

Glad you’re back, Paul . . . missed you! ❤