Keepers' Houses, Kyleakin Lighthouse, Eilean Ban

The Kyleakin Lighthouse, built in 1857 by David and Thomas Stevenson, is a prominent example of a lighthouse of its type, located on the small island of Eilean Ban in the Kyle of Lochalsh. The 70-foot circular tower supports the light and is linked to a pair of single-storey former keepers' houses by a five-span plate-iron access bridge and a concrete causeway. The keepers’ houses are white harled with contrasting margins and are arranged back-to-back. The lighthouse was one of the first to use a fixed condensing light and was automated in 1960, converting to acetylene gas. It was decommissioned in 1993. The island, previously listed as 'Kyle Lighthouse, Eilean Ban', was purchased by Gavin Maxwell in 1963 and the keepers' houses were subsequently restored as a warden's residence and museum. The island now acts as a support for the Skye Road Bridge, completed in 1995.