This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in episode 79 in September 2020. Ian Duff worked as a keeper at 13 Scottish lighthouses between 1976 and 1992. He spent about five years at Skerryvore, a remote station off the west coast of Scotland. He also spent about five years at Duncansby Head Light Station at the most northeasterly point of the British mainland.

Ian Duff at St. Abbs Head Lighthouse in Scotland. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Ian remained involved with lighthouses after his retirement as a keeper. He became the president of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or the ALK, an organization that provides a forum for everyone interested in lighthouses, lightships, and maritime aids to navigation. When Ian passed away last year, a large collection of his photographic slides were donated to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, along with lighthouse artifacts.

Skerryvore Lighthouse (U.S. Lighthouse Society)