ENGINEERS at a lighthouse in Scotland have found a 132-year-old message in a bottle within the walls of the building.
The bottle was found in the Corsewall Lighthouse at the Rhins of Galloway in the south of Scotland.
It is believed the find is the first message in a bottle ever discovered in a lighthouse in Scotland.
The letter was found by engineer Ross Russell during an inspection. The Northern Lighthouse Board shared a video on social media of Dr Barry Miller, the lighthouse keeper for Corsewall Lighthouse who raced over to the site when workers notified him, reading the letter.
READ MORE: I was in Gaza. Keir Starmer would not deny genocide if he went there
Miller said: "It was so exciting, it was like meeting our colleagues from the past. It was actually like them being there," he said.
"It was like touching them. Like them being part of our team instead of just four of us being there, we were all there sharing what they had written because it was tangible and you could see the style of their handwriting.
"You knew what they had done. You knew they had hidden it in such a place it wouldn't be found for a long, long time."
The engineers used all there skill they had to cut the top off the cork, drill the cork out, and create a tool using two pieces of cable to twist the letter through the narrow opening.
The letter is dated September 4, 1892 and reveals the names of three engineers who installed a new lamp in the tower. It states:
Corsewall Light & Fog Signal Station, Sept 4th 1892.
This lantern was erected by James Wells Engineer, John Westwood Millwright, James Brodie Engineer, David Scott Labourer, of the firm of James Milne & Son Engineers, Milton House Works, Edinburgh, during the months from May to September and relighted on Thursday night 15th Sept 1892.
The following being keepers at the station at this time, John Wilson Principal, John B Henderson 1st assistant, John Lockhart 2nd assistant.
The lens and machine being supplied by James Dove &Co Engineers Greenside Edinburgh and erected by William Burness, John Harrower, James Dods. Engineers with the above firm.
Ross Russell, from Oban, who found the bottle with his colleagues Morgan Dennison and Neil Armstrong, said "it's a once in a lifetime find".
Russel said: "The note was just sensational, I was just in utter amazement. Being the first person to touch the bottle after 132 years was just mind blowing.
"It was just a strange coincidence to find the note while working on the equipment described on the note."
Russell said the group planned to replace the note and bottle adding another of their own.
A descendant of one of the lighthouse keepers, Euan Murray, a Royal Navy engineer who grew up 10 miles (16km) from the lighthouse in Stranraer, is the great great great grandson of Robert Murray who worked alongside John Wilson at Corsewall.
He said: "I do find it very interesting to see a bit of family history pop up out the blue like this.
"It's amazing to think that the work they did back then is still completely relevant today, even in the age of satellite navigation. Ships are still using these lighthouses for safe navigation on a daily basis.
"All the more apparent because of my career at sea and having passed the lighthouse many times on vessels arriving and departing from around the world. Always a nice sign of home."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here