Installing a 9 metre fully rigged flagpole in Scotland

Cloch Lighthouse sits three miles south-west of Gourock. It is on the east shore of the Firth of Clyde, directly opposite Dunoon.

The lighthouse was designed by Thomas Smith and his son-in-law Robert Stevenson and the building was completed in 1797. The lighthouse is listed as a Category B building by Historic Environment Scotland.

Harrisons were thrilled to be asked by Benjamin Tindall Architects to design, manufacture and install a fully-rigged 9-metre flagpole. It was to sit in pride of place next to the iconic lighthouse.

One of the main challenges of installing this rigged flagpole was the location. As it was so close to the sea, the team had to coincide the installation with the tides. A steep, rocky, downward slope away from the flagpole foundation, making it difficult to raise, also had to be tackled. Using a complex temporary winch mechanism, the team were able to carefully raise the mast. They did this without impacting any of the existing walls or restored structure.

When installing rigged flagpoles, all the guy wires are typically the same length so it sits symmetrically. However as the ground was so uneven here, the wires would be different lengths. Careful consideration was given to their location and the fixings used for this exposed and harsh location.