Lighthouses have always been notorious, so they constantly attracted the attention of people interested in their secrets and riddles. In the distant past, the lighthouse was a guide for sea frigates, it helped sailors navigate the terrain by emitting light from their lamps.
Nowadays, there are a lot of abandoned marine guidebooks around the world. Among them there are lighthouses with a normal reputation, which is called with a clear conscience, so there is little interest in them, they just exist, and that's it. But there are lighthouses that have a bad reputation, they are surrounded by a huge number of secrets, mysteries, mystical stories and unexplained events.
Eileen Mor lighthouse
Eileen Mor Lighthouse is the most mysterious lighthouse in the world. It is located on a wave-laden rock on one of the seven Flannan Islands in the Outer Hebrides. A truly ominous incident happened here in the winter of 1900. According to the established schedule, the lighthouse should be served by three caretakers. Another caretaker was on the shore, at Bresklit station, and replaced one of the attendants on each voyage to the islands.
The first warning signal came on December 15, 1900. The steamer Arktor, en route from Philadelphia to Lit, reported that there was no signal from the lighthouse. But no urgent measures were taken. The vessel "Hesperus", serving the lighthouse, arrived on the island only on December 26 at noon.
Upon landing on the island, the team and the superintendent-replacement Joseph More were immediately confronted with strange facts. There was a bare flagpole on the pier, there were no empty boxes for unloading provisions, and most importantly, no one met them. The captain sounded the horn, but none of the caretakers still showed up.
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Joseph More discovered that the lighthouse gates, as well as all doors, were locked.
Opening them, he saw that the caretakers' beds were not made, and that the clock had stopped. The search further confused Mora. The beacon lamps were cleaned and refueled. All waterproof raincoats were in place. Given the bad weather, hardly any of the caretakers would have dared to leave the lighthouse without them. The only sign of a mess was an overturned kitchen table. There were no things or signs pointing to the tracks of the three caretakers.
The Scottish authorities conducted an official investigation, the conclusion of which was rather mundane: all three caretakers were washed away by a sudden wave. But multiple later revisions of the case gave different interpretations. Until now, both realists and mystics argue about this story. Ufologists, for example, insist on the version of an alien abduction. This idea became the basis of one of the episodes of the series "Doctor Who".
Stonington Peninsula Lighthouse
Today the lighthouse on the Stonington Peninsula in Maine is one of the tourist attractions. They even lead excursions here, and those who want to stay at the lighthouse for longer are even given bicycles to explore the surroundings. However, the lighthouse has its own history. It was here that pirates once hid and, according to legend, hid treasure in the bay next to the lighthouse. Daredevils-divers to this day hunt for treasures and, they say, even find something.
But Stonington is famous not only for pirates and hoards. Here the shallow water begins 2 miles inland. There are merciless reefs along the path leading to the Michigan jetties. The lighthouses located in these places stood on the migration routes of various animals and were called “bird traps”.
Stonington plays an important role in the migration of monarch butterflies. In September, thousands of butterflies congregate at the lighthouse for a short rest before migrating further. This is an incredibly beautiful sight.
Cape Hatteras lighthouse
This lighthouse stands at Cape Hatteras near Buxton, USA. Built in 1870, it is still the tallest lighthouse in the United States and the largest brick lighthouse in the world.
The Atlantic Ocean area opposite Cape Hatteras is extremely difficult to navigate due to shallows, choppy currents and stormy winds. This is where the cold Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream collide. This area is called the "cemetery of the Atlantic" because of the thousands of shipwrecks in these places.
More than 1000 ships have found shelter here since 1526. One of the most famous is the famous battleship USS Monitor, which sank on December 31, 1862.
In the village of Hatteras there is even a museum called the Atlantic Cemetery, where you can see the wreckage of ships, utensils, learn about the history of Atlantic navigation and the fate of some sailors who died near the cape.
Isaac Cay Lighthouse
The lighthouse on the Isaac Kei Island was built in 1859 and is 46m high. Some say strange sounds are heard from the island during the full moon. Local old-timers tell of a shipwreck in the late 19th century, in which only one infant survived.
The story of the baby is unknown, but it is said that the ghost of Lady Gray, the distraught mother of the baby, comes to the island and screams in grief every full moon. And on August 4, 1969, two caretakers were found missing at the lighthouse, who were never found later. Many islanders believe that these two victims are not the only ones missing for no apparent reason.
Now these places are open to the public, only the stairs have been removed from the lighthouse. The abandoned buildings of the island of Great Isaac Kay still attract adventure seekers.
Lighthouse Eyre
The Cape Eyre Lighthouse in Wales has provided passage for English ships since 1776. In 1840, its work was suspended, after which the structure underwent several restoration attempts, the last of which, in 1994, turned the lighthouse into an elegant white tower with a red poppy head.
This lighthouse has its own secrets and legend. It says that the spirit of a man who has died of love wanders around the abandoned building.
The lighthouse owner commissioned a seven-foot sculpture of the Guardian from local artist Angela Smith to support the cultural tradition. Made of stainless steel, the legend comes alive with numerous holes. The wind passing through them plays mysterious melodies on the body of the Guardian.
As we can see, sometimes quite incredible events take place even on ordinary, boring lighthouses, and sometimes the most real mystical extravaganzas are played out.