If you're visiting Arranmore, it's good to be able tell islanders you're living at the lighthouse. It gives you a bit of identity, attaches you -- however loosely -- to a place everyone knows.
The lighthouse is in the northwest of the island, where boats are likely to need the steady, unique reference point, and since most of the islanders' homes are clustered around the ferry port, in the southeast, the lighthouse can seem a little detached. For decades, the powerful, intricate lamp was monitored continually by keepers who lived in the two houses. Since 1976 it has been monitored electronically and through weekly in-person maintenance checks. Some 14 years ago, when Fiona began updating the two attached houses and making them available to visitors, Fiona has done something to raise awareness.
Fiona is a warm, outgoing hostess, who has gone some lengths to make her guests feel welcome. She met us in person at the ferry port to say hello; there's a thick file of newsclips and historical data about the island available in the house. She's done an admirable job of both bringing standards for comfort and efficiency up to date in the house without losing the feel of a strong, sturdy building on seacoast that can be rough. Visitors will find it warm, cosy, safe. At the same time, they're in a position to appreciate the force, the sound and look of wind, rain, crashing sea, the reality of the North Atlantic. In a word, there's a sense of adventure, under conditions almost certainly very different from those in the places most of us call home.
In short, the accommodation is quite wonderful, exceptional and memorable. Potential visitors should ideally not take too much for granted in the way of services: the local shop is not a supermarket; the communications mast doesn't cover every nook and cranny, and pubs tend to close when the tourist season ends. On the other hand, with everyone we met -- ferrymen, shop assistants, post office clerks, drivers, community centre staff -- we had a sense of talking to a fellow human being who would do his or her best to help. I will never forget it.