Update: 01-03-2025
Place of the lighthouse
Pladda (Scottish Gaelic: Pladaigh) is an uninhabited island 1 km off the south coast of the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde western Scotland. Pladda is a small, flat, teardrop-shaped island, 700 meter long and rising up to just 27 meter above sea level. Unusually for such a small island has it its own fresh water source.
Pladda shares its name with Pladda Island, a tiny islet situated in the Lynn of Lorne between Lismore and Ardmucknish Bay. The lighthouse was built in 1790 and guards the entrance to the Firth of Clyde and Kilbrannan Sound. It is distinctive in its design, having a smaller tower below the main lighthouse.
Building the Lighthouse
With the increase in trade around the mouth of the Firth of Clyde, more lighthouses were needed in the area. That is why Pladda Lighthouse was commissioned by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights (predecessor of the NLB - Northern Lighthouse Board). The Pladda lighthouse is a white masonry tower with a height of 29 meters. The tower was built in 1790 by Thomas Smith and first lit on October 1, 1790.
A smaller lighthouse of about 7 meters high was placed under the main tower, creating a "double" light. This enabled the seafarers to distinguish Pladda from the other lighthouses in the area, particularly those on the Mull of Kintyre, Little Cumbrae and Copeland on the Irish coast. Pladda Lighthouse is not only the oldest lighthouse around Arran, but also one of the oldest lighthouses in Scotland.
Thomas Smith also explored building a harbour at Pladda. However, it was considered too expensive. Provisions and other light supplies were brought in by boat from Lamlash on Arran, weather permitting to land at Pladda.The skippers of these boats were permanently attached to the station. The boats were also used for changing personnel. These boat services were limited to 4 visits per month to the island, 2 of which were on Sundays to enable the lighthouse keepers to attend church. All this changed in 1972 with the commissioning of the helicopter, which was used to carry out this work.
Five of the early lights of Northern Lighthouse Board eq, Mull of Kintyre, Kinnaird Head, Eilean Glas and Pentland Skerries were rebuilt between 1821 and 1830.
In 1901 the light in the low tower was removed. This tower has not been demolished and can still be seen. It still retains its distinctive look and ornaments.Warning systems (Light, Fog horn)
The Pladda lighthouse was rebuilt around 1827. Pladda lighthouse was rebuilt around 1827. Pladda was one of the lighthouses where tests were carried out with new fuels. In 1870, tests were done with paraffin, a light mineral oil, which replaced the rapeseed and whale oil used until then. Tests have also been carried out with a new type of burner equipped with multiple wicks. With the new fuel and burners, the power of the light (visibility) increased significantly.
In 1901, fixed lights were no longer considered suitable for the large landing and shore lights and a powerful group flashing beacon was installed. In 1901 the light of the low lighthouse was dismantled. A new Hyper-radial optic (this optic was 4 meters high) was installed in the high lighthouse and the character was changed from a fixed light to a group flashing light.
with emergency optic ML300 on top
Pladda lost this Hyper-radial lens lens when the lighthouse was automated in 1990. The (clock)mechanism and the Hyper-radial optics are dismantled and stored at Rosaburn House, Arran Heritage Museum, Rosaburn, Brodick.
The lens was replaced by a rotating Pharos Marine PRB 46 mark 1 type beacon that rotated at two revolutions per minute. The PRB46 lamps are arranged as 4 groups of 3 lamps in series at an angle of 60 degrees (photo left). This gave the light a character of Gp Fl. (3) W., 30 sec. If one of the lamps in each series fails, another lamp group is automatically selected to maintain the correct character.
The emergency optic, an ML300 lantern, is visible above the main optic. The ML 300 flashed with the same character as the main optic with a Twin Filament 60/60W. 10.3V. lamp. Should the first filament fail, the second will automatically be put into service.
Both optics were replaced in 2011 by a Pelangi PRL 600 rotary system (photo right). It also rotates at 2 revolutions per minute.
Fog signals were also introduced in the 1870s. Pladda was the third lighthouse to be fitted with a fog signal in 1876. These consisted of American-ordered fog sirens powered by hot air engines.
Lighthouses burned mostly wood, coal and candles for a long time before oil took over. Oil was mostly used in the form of whale oil and canola oil before the introduction of kerosene in the mid-19th century and eventually electricity. Excluding mainland stations, the lights were usually manned by 3 lighthouse keepers with 3 colleagues on shore leave on a 4-week rotation.
Guards were expected to be on duty at night to supervise the proper operation of the lights, watch for fog 24 hours a day, and maintain and maintain the station during the day. An initial automation program in the early 20th century reduced the numbers needed to man a station and many lighthouse keepers were made redundant. In the 1980s and 1990s, all Scottish lighthouses were eventually fully automated and the process was completed in 1998.Operational status
Pladda was originally an island station so accommodation was adequate. With the exception of mainland stations, the lighthouses were usually manned by 3 lighthouse keepers with 3 colleagues on shore leave in a 4-week rotation. Guards were expected to be on duty at night to supervise the proper operation of the lights, watch for fog 24 hours a day, and maintain the station with all buildings during the day.
An initial automation program in the early 20th century reduced the numbers of lighthouse keepers needed to man a station and many lighthouse keepers were made redundant. In the 1980s and 1990s, all Scottish lighthouses were eventually fully automated and this process was completed in 1998. With this, all lighthouses are now monitored from the NLB headquarters in Edinburgh.
