The Stevenson Dynasty: lighthouse builders.

The coastline of Scotland is about 10,000 km long. It is bordered by 790 islands.
These islands, which alone have 6,600 km of coastline, are divided into 4 groups:
- Shetlands, the northernmost group in Scotland,
- Orkney, between the Shetlands and the mainland,
- The Inner Hebrides, west of Scotland,
- Outer Hebrides (Outer Hebrides or Western Isles), west of the Inner Hebrides.

The coastline, which is heavily cut, is the site of strong currents and frequent storms.
To secure maritime traffic, the "Northern Lighthouse Board" (NBL) was created in 1786. This company is going to draw up a coastal marking plan.
It is based in Edinburgh and, since automation, controls all Scottish lighthouses.

More than half of the 212 Scottish lighthouses were built in 150 years by the 3 Stevenson generations.

Robert Stevenson (1772 - 1850).

Robert Stevenson was born in 1772. His father died when he was still young.
His mother remarried in 1792 with Thomas Smith (1752-1815).
Thomas Smith, a tinsmith, joined NBL when it was created. He is appointed Senior Lighting Engineer and Consultant.

Robert is involved with NBL and works with his father-in-law. He is involved in the construction of several lighthouses.
In 1797 he was appointed consulting engineer and succeeded Thomas Smith.

His most important work was the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse (1807 and 1810). It is based on the Eddystone lighthouse and makes several improvements.

Between 1808 and 1842, he was responsible for the construction of more than 18 major lighthouses.
He was also the inventor of intermittent fire and is responsible for equipment for many lighthouses.
He adapts Fresnel lenses and innovates in the choice of light sources.
He was also responsible for the construction of ports, bridges, railway lines ...

In 1799 he married his half sister with whom he had 13 children, 5 of whom survived.

The 3 sons, David, Alan and Thomas, are engineers and work at the NLB.
He retired in 1843 and died in 1850.

Alan Stevenson (1807-1865).

Alan Stevenson (1807-1865) was Robert’s eldest son.
He was born the year the Bell Rock lighthouse was built. He works at the NLB and is responsible for the construction of 12 lighthouses.
Its greatest success is the Skerryvore lighthouse. It is built on a reef.
This achievement was long considered impossible and finally considered by many as "the most elegant and perfect lighthouse in the world".
Alan travels a lot and he befriends the brothers Leonor and Augustin Fresnel.
He suffered from health problems and retired prematurely in 1853.
He died in 1865. He left a son and 3 daughters.

David (1815 - 1886).

David, now an engineer, travels a lot and takes care of the family business.
Between 1854 and 1880 he worked with his brother Thomas to create more than 20 lighthouses.
It helps to design a lighthouse for Japan, which must be able to withstand earthquakes.

After his brother resigned in 1853, he concentrated only on the lighthouses.

He had 8 children. Two sons, David Alan and Charles Alexandre.
They became lighthouse builders. In 1881, he became ill and resigned in 1883. He died in 1886.

Thomas Stevenson (1818 - 1887)

Thomas Stevenson, the youngest of the 3 brothers, helped David at the NLB and he continued the family business.
At first, he seemed uninterested but gradually he contributed to the construction of more than 25 lighthouses.
After the resignation of his brother David, he alone carried out the work in progress.
To his great disappointment, his son did not continue his work, he became a writer.

For health reasons, he retired in 1886. He died in 1887.

David Alan Stevenson (1854-1938).

David Alan Stevenson was the eldest son of David Stevenson. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he worked in the family business.
In 1885, he was appointed engineer at the NLB. Between 1885 and 1886 he worked with his uncle and took over the construction of three lighthouses: Fidra, Ailsa Craig and Oxcars.
For the next 50 years, he built 23 lighthouses with his brother Charles Alexandre. He also worked in optics.
He had two daughters. Without an estate, he remained in office until his death in 1938.

Charles Alexandre (1855-1950). 

Charles Alexandre is David’s second son.
A university engineer, he followed the family tradition. Between 1887 and 1937, he collaborated with his brother on the construction of 23 lighthouses.
He was not appointed as an engineer at the NLB but took up the position during his brother’s illness.
It improves the optics and it works on the efficiency of the foghorns.
His son Alan (1891-1971) was the last in the family to practise this profession.
He retired in 1940 and died in 1950.

List of lighthouses built by the Stevenson.

Copinsay, Orknay Island.