ECHOES: A FATHOMS DEEP PODCAST - SHOW NOTES
The Flannan Isles Lighthouse - When Three Men Vanished from the Edge of the World
Episode 13 | December 08, 2025 | Duration: 25 minutes
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
In December 1900, three lighthouse keepers vanished from Scotland's Flannan Isles without explanation. They left behind a functioning beacon, made beds, cleaned dishes, and an overturned chair. No bodies. No emergency message. No rational explanation that accounts for all the evidence.
This episode explores one of maritime history's most enduring mysteries—examining not just theories about what happened to James Ducat, Thomas Marshall, and Donald McArthur, but what their disappearance reveals about those who maintain lights at the edge of human habitation. When our most reliable guardians can simply vanish, what does that mean for the rest of us navigating uncertain waters?
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IN THIS EPISODE
The December 1900 Flannan Isles disappearance
Victorian lighthouse engineering and safety protocols
Investigation theories: freak waves, psychological breakdown, supernatural explanations
Parallels with the Mary Celeste mystery
The unique psychological burden of lighthouse keepers
Liminal spaces and those who occupy them
Celtic folklore and "thin places"
What disappearances of guardians reveal about trust and guidance
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SOUND CREDITS
Wave bell attributedPirate Ship at Bay.wav by CGEffex -- https://freesound.org/s/93678/ -- License: Attribution 4.0
SHIP SOUND REQUEST!.wav by hello_flowers -- https://freesound.org/s/31006/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
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REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
Muirhead, Robert. "Superintendent's Report on Flannan Isles Investigation." Northern Lighthouse Board, January 8, 1901
Northern Lighthouse Board Archives and Annual Reports, 1900-1901
Bathurst, Bella. The Lighthouse Stevensons. London: Flamingo, 1999
Campbell, John Gregorson. Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Glasgow: James MacLehose & Sons, 1900
Encyclopædia Britannica. "Mary Celeste"
Royal Museums Greenwich. "The Mystery of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse Keepers"
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ORIGINAL ESSAY: THE FLANNAN ISLES' LIGHTHOUSE
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Articles & Research: fathomsdeepbeyond.com
Speculative & Paranormal Fiction: flukeprint.com
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ABOUT ECHOES
Echoes: A Fathoms Deep Podcast explores where maritime legend meets the craft of fantasy. Each episode dives into historical mysteries, cultural traditions, and supernatural phenomena of the sea, revealing how this research can transform your approach to worldbuilding and character creation. Hosted by Morgan A. Drake, author of dark maritime fantasy and architect of the Dimidium world.
NEXT EPISODES
Coming Next: "Isolation in Literature: How Stories Capture the Breaking Mind"—examining how Gothic fiction, polar exploration narratives, and maritime tales document the systematic breakdown of consciousness that occurs when humans are cut off from social connection, and what these stories reveal about the fragility of human sanity.
As always, thank you for listening and supporting our work.
Morgan A. Drake
