Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Volunteer in Post
Ardnamurchan lies just a short ferry ride away from our base here in Tobermory, and is a wild landscape of untamed beauty; open hills, rocky cliffs and stunning white-sand beaches. Standing at the most westerly point of the UK mainland Ardnamurchan Lighthouse has been guiding ships safely through the waters off Scotland’s west coast since 1849. As part of an exciting new partnership with the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust, HWDT have started a volunteer placement programme to monitor marine mammals from this spectacular vantage.
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
This volunteer programme is part of the Hebridean Whale Trail which will see a much wider range of similar community activities across the Hebrides with its launch next year. The placement will monitor marine life; recording sightings of whales, dolphins, porpoises and other species, while providing a friendly face to inspire and inform visitors and the local community about our amazing marine environment.
Recent Whale Track sightings around Ardnamurchan
Our new volunteer Craig Mackie moved into the lighthouse on Monday, and spotted two bottlenose dolphins within his first few minutes - an auspicious start indeed! Craig will be based at the lighthouse until the 7th September, when he will be returning to start his second year studying Marine Science BSc at the Scottish Association for Marine Science near Oban.
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Volunteer - Craig Mackie
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Craig into the HWDT family and to be offering this unique experience of living in a lighthouse while playing an active role in marine conservation. It is great for us to be able to support our neighbours at the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust and engage with the local community through Craig’s Community Watches.”
During his placement Craig will be found looking out from the foghorn platform, and is on hand to offer top-tips and helpful-hints for spotting and identifying Scottish marine wildlife. This vantage looks out over a stunning area, with great views over to the Small Isles, Coll and down to Mull, the area is a hotspot of sightings from harbour porpoise to minke whales. For the next three Sunday's he has organised Community Watches, inviting locals along to join him for a social sea-gazing afternoon. So if you are in the area do stop by!
Craig in location