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A cylindrical bottle, nearly 8 inches tall, was found by Ross Russell, a mechanical engineer working for the Northern Lighthouse Board while conducting his regular inspection.
Rare 1892 bottle found in Scottish lighthouse. (Photo Credits: X)
A bottle with a 132-year-old message has been found embedded in concrete within the structure of Corsewall Lighthouse situated in the Rhins of Galloway in the far south of Scotland. Referred to as a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity, this is the first time such artefacts have been discovered in a Scottish lighthouse. The message was written and in postal dated September 4, 1892, with the help of quill and ink.
According to BBC, it displays the names of three engineers of James Milne & Son Engineers, who were involved in the installation of a new lighting system in the 100-foot tall tower, and the names of three lighthouse keepers employed at that time. The cylindrical bottle, nearly 8 inches tall, was found by Ross Russell, a mechanical engineer working for the Northern Lighthouse Board while conducting his regular inspection, the news outlet reported.
The bottle had been concealed behind cupboard doors where it was inaccessible and out of sight. To retrieve it, the team creatively combined a broomstick with a rope to make a puller. They preferred to wait until Barry Miller, the lighthouse keeper, was around to open the bottle. Miller said he had appreciated the patience, emphasising to BBC, “My goodness, am I grateful for them doing that”.
After opening the bottle, the team encountered problems mainly that the cork stopper had swelled up and got stuck to the edge of the bottle. According to the news outlet, they neatly cut through the cork to get to the note inside. The most challenging step was to pull the document out since it looked immense to pass through the neck of the container. But they were able to twist it using a custom tool made from cable pieces.
Miller recounted his excitement during this momentous occasion: “It was so exciting, it was like meeting our colleagues from the past. It was actually like them being there”. The note also identified the engineers who had worked on the lighthouse light, James Wells, John Westwood, James Brodie and the labourer David Scott as recipients of its mention.
Ross Russell told BBC that it was an unbelievable discovery. He shared his amazement at being “the first person to touch the bottle after 132 years,” calling it “mind-blowing” and truly a unique experience. The engineers intend to place both the message and the bottle back at Corsewall Lighthouse once the restoration work is over together with a new message from the engineers of the present work being done.
