Memories were stirred of the anniversary of a fire drama at the Bell Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Arbroath.
On September 3 1987, three men were plucked from the lighthouse, 12 miles offshore, after a fierce blaze tore through the structure, leaving them trapped on the tiny island in raging seas.
The incident and subsequent rescue made headline news and is still well remembered by many as one of the most spectacular rescues to have taken place in the area.
Lighthouse keeper James Mackay and assistant keepers Richard Nixon and Alistair MacDonald were midway through a two-week spell on the rock when fire broke out in their kitchen.
Out of control, the flames quickly spread to their sleeping accommodation and from there the building acted as a huge chimney with smoke billowing from the windows.
Arbroath councillor Bob Spink told The Courier: “My first close-up of the Bell Rock lighthouse was in April 1970 when as a scuba diver with RNAS Condor I swam over to the lighthouse, climbed up and entered, much to the shock and surprise of the keepers and little wonder.
“Its remoteness and loneliness always impressed and although I dived around the rock countless times after then, it was always a thrill to see and wonder at.
“Any fire in such a remote place and limited space must have been truly terrifying. This is why fire, dreaded in normal circumstances, has an extra fear dimension when experienced on board ship, on an oil rig, in an aeroplane or a lighthouse as in this case.
“It is a blessing that these three unfortunate souls who were on the lighthouse that day were taken to rescue and survived their ordeal. Now unmanned, of course, a similar event is unlikely but never to be forgotten.”
The lighthouse was in the process of being automated when disaster struck and much of its equipment had already been removed. The fire was left to burn itself out.
The three men were rescued by a Wessex helicopter from the now defunct search and rescue unit at RAF Leuchars, and the Arbroath lifeboat Shoreline was involved along with its crew of eight.
The helicopter could not land at the lighthouse and as he came in to rescue the men, the pilot had to be very careful his rotors were far enough away not to strike the lighthouse itself.
Helicopters were frequently used to convey the lighthouse keepers to the island but landings were made at low tide when a small helipad was exposed.
David Taylor, whose great-great-great-grandfather Captain David Taylor was closely involved in the construction of the lighthouse, said: “A fuel pipe had overflowed inside the building, and as the gas was on in the kitchen, the fumes ignited.
“The kitchen was gutted and the light room and control room were extensively damaged, but the lower floors only suffered smoke damage.
“The structure of the building was still sound, and it was luckily a question of only repairing rather than rebuilding.
“Fortunately, the three keepers were unhurt and were taken off by a rescue helicopter from Leuchars even though it was high water,” he went on.
“The Arbroath lifeboat was launched and stood by in case it was required.
“This was not the first occasion that the Bell Rock had suffered a fire. On Saturday September 20 1811 (not long after it had been built) a temporary stove in the kitchen went on fire and the heat caused some panes in the light room window to crack.”