David Stevenson (1815--86)

Another of Robert Stevenson's sons, in his early years David worked mainly in the family’s civil engineering business, dealing with work coming from the Convention of Scottish Burghs. However, when his brother, Alan, stood down as Engineer to the NLB in 1853, he concentrated solely on lighthouse affairs and shared the post of Engineer with his brother, Thomas. Between them, they oversaw the construction of 29 lighthouses, as well as attracting commissions from India, Japan, Canada and Singapore. His greatest challenge was perhaps the supervision of the construction of the lighthouse on Muckle Flugga, off North Unst. This enterprise followed demands from the Admiralty that the treacherous coastline which had, in 1811 claimed the lives of two thousand men on three naval ships, be lit. War with Russia looked likely and Britain needed safe passage for its naval fleet in order to be able to effect a blockade of the ports of Archangel and Murmansk. The light was completed in 1857. In 1881 he became ill, never returning to office; he resigned from all duties in 1883.