The inspiration behind Gneiss Earl Grey is the rock which forms the Skerryvore reef, and the stunning Skerryvore lighthouse which sits upon it.

Wikipedia describes it as “built with some difficulty between 1838 and 1844”, which is a fair assessment. Skerryvore stils 11 miles offshore. At a height of 156 feet (48 metres) it is the tallest lighthouse in Scotland. The lighthouse was automated in 1994. You will often see the Lighthouse Board ship the Pharos heading out to check on it.

You can take a trip out to the lighthouse with Tiree Sea Tours during the summer, which we would highly recommend!

We would also recommend visiting the dedicated Skerryvore Lighthouse Museum in Hynish, Tiree. The exhibition tells the fascinating story of the hazardous Skerryvore reef in addition to documenting and the design and building of the lighthouse.

The designer was Alan Stevenson, uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson. The museum features unique examples of industrial archaeology. There is also a scale model of the lighthouse and information boards telling you all about the lighthouse.  The property was restored by the Hebridean Trust and the visitor donations now contribute towards the future maintenance of the site.

You can read more about the lighthouse on the Northern Lighthouse Board site.

Skerryvore is also the name of band with their roots firmly in Tiree! You can find them here, and are likely to hear their tunes as you tour Tiree! They are a key part of the Tiree Music Festival and have toured world with their toe-tapping tunes.