Description

The monument comprises the remains of a watch tower of Napoleonic date, standing just off the summit of Malcolm's Head, a prominent hill in the SW of Fair Isle.

The tower has been 5m square, with walls surviving to a maximum of 2.2m high. It is well constructed of mortared stone, with substantial quoins. The N wall has been almost completely removed. In the S, and tallest surviving, wall is an opening about 1m wide, closed by later masonry. There are remains of later (probably World War 1 and/or 2) lookout posts of brick and concrete close to the N, but these are very ruined.

The area to be scheduled is circular, 40m in diameter, to include the tower and the remains of nearby, later structures, as shown in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a rare survival of the remains of a coastal lookout station. Such watch towers probably existed on Fair Isle from early times, and this Napoleonic-period example was in turn replaced later examples and eventually by radar, indicating the continued importance of Fair Isle in schemes of maritime safety and national defence.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HZ 17 SE 31.

Reference:

Hunter, J. R. (ed.) (1984) Fair Isle survey: interim 1984, Bradford University Schools of Archaeological Sciences and Physics Occasional Papers, No. 5 Bradford. No. 72.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland