Little Ross

Little Ross is a small island of twelve hectares in the Solway Firth, just south of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway. It sits beside Meikle Ross, a mainland headland, with two rocks—Sugarloaf and Fox Craig—close by. The only way to reach the island is by private boat or helicopter. A lighthouse built in 1843 by Alan Stevenson marks the entrance to Kirkcudbright Bay. The island once housed sixteen people, including the head keeper, underkeeper and their families, who kept a small dairy and piggery. The island is known for the murder of lighthouse keeper Hugh Clark in August 1960. During the principal keeper’s holiday, relief keeper Robert Dickson was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to life imprisonment. The lighthouse was automated the following year and has remained unmanned ever since. Electricity comes entirely from solar panels and a small wind turbine. The Commissioners for Northern Lighthouses still maintain the property, visiting regularly for upkeep. Visitors find a six-bedroom cottage listed at Grade B, along with three ruined barns and a courtyard. The lighthouse itself is not included in any sale. The island’s isolation and history draw those interested in quiet shores and maritime stories. David Corrie of Galbraith noted how rarely such private islands appear on the market at accessible prices. Little Ross remains a place where the past lingers in stone and silence.