Engineers carrying out repairs at a remote Scottish lighthouse were shocked to find a mysterious message in a bottle hidden within the walls.
However, they were even more surprised to discover that the note was written more than 132 years ago by the last group of engineers who worked on the lighthouse.
The hidden letter was discovered in the Corsewall Lighthouse built in 1817 near the village of Kirkolm on a peninsula overlooking the Irish Sea.
Inside a glass bottle, the crew found a letter written with quill and ink, describing the installation of a new lantern and lens, as well as the names of the engineers and lighthouse keepers.
Ross Russell, a technician who found the bottle, said: ‘The note was nothing short of sensational, I was just astounded.
‘To be the first person to touch the bottle after 132 years was simply astonishing. It is a unique find.’
For now, the letter is being kept in the office of the Northern Lighthouse Board, which maintains the Corsewall Lighthouse, but crews plan to reattach it to the walls once renovations are complete.
In addition to this letter from the past, Mr. Russell and his team plan to put their own message in a bottle for future generations of lighthouse keepers to find.
Engineers working on a remote lighthouse in Scotland were shocked to find a message in a bottle from the last engineers to work there more than 130 years ago
The message was found within the walls of the Corsewall Lighthouse as engineers prepared to repair the lantern and rotating lens
In 1892, a team of engineers had just completed a major project to upgrade the Coreswall Lighthouse.
They had made the long journey from Edinburgh to install a more modern lantern and a new Fresnel lens to light the way for passing ships.
But before the walls were sealed for good, the crew sat down to write a note explaining their work for future engineers to discover.
The note reads: ‘Corsewall Light & Fog Signal Station, September 4, 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 of May to September, and was relit on Thursday evening. September 15, 1892.
‘The following guards are at the station at this time: John Wilson Warden, John B Henderson 1st Assistant, John Lockhart 2nd Assistant.
‘The lens and machine are supplied by James Dove & Co. Engineers Greenside Edinburgh and built by William Burness, John Harrower, James Dods. Engineers from the above-mentioned company.’
The message was then rolled up in a glass bottle and sealed with an old cork and some twisted wire before being safely tucked into a cavity in the wall.
The letter was written in 1892 by a team of engineers from Edinburgh, describing a project to install a new lantern and Fresnel lens and giving the names of the crew and lighthouse keepers.
Current lighthouse keeper Barry Miller (pictured) says reading the message was like ‘meeting our colleagues from the past’
The Coreswall Lighthouse is located on the Rhins of Galloway Peninsula in western Scotland, where it guides sailors through the mouth of Loch Ryan and the Irish Sea
It wouldn’t be until 132 years later, when a team of modern engineers prepared to make repairs to the very same lens, that the note would be found.
The bottle was so far out of reach that the crew built a contraption of rope and a broomstick to retrieve it from its hiding place.
However, the crew agreed that they should wait for the current lighthouse keeper, Barry Miller, to arrive before opening their discovery.
Over the years, the cork in the bottle had expanded and the thread had rusted away, meaning the men had to carefully drill out the cork to access the message inside.
Using a makeshift tool made from lengths of cable, Mr. Miller was able to safely pass the rolled paper through the narrow neck of the bottle.
Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Mr Miller said his hands were shaking when he picked up the note.
Mr Miller said: “It was so exciting, it was like meeting our colleagues from the past. It was actually like they were there.
‘It was like touching them. Like they were part of our team instead of just the four of us. We were all there sharing what they had written because it was tangible and you could see the style of their handwriting.”
The message mentioned lighthouse keeper John Wilson (second from left), who is depicted in this image from the archives of the Northern Lighthouse Board.
The crew (pictured) say they plan to put the message back on the wall once renovations are complete, along with their own note for future generations to discover
Corsewall Lighthouse has been an important beacon for sailors sailing the estuary of Loch Ryan and the stormy waters of the Irish Sea for almost 200 years.
A lighthouse keeper lived on site and operated the lantern and rotating lenses from construction until 1994, when the light was automated.
Since then the lighthouse has been operated remotely from Edinburgh by the Northern Lighthouse Board.
This company operates more than 200 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man and is responsible for building maintenance.
Mike Bullock, chief executive of the Northern Lighthouse Board, said: ‘The team of engineers who found the bottle are the direct equivalent of the 19th century engineers who left it there.
‘I am sure that James Wells and his colleagues mentioned on the document would be delighted to know that their work continues and that Corsewall Lighthouse is still serving 132 years later under the care of professionals with the same passion and dedication.’