After the last lighthouse keeper in Britain left his position in 1998, the duty of a lighthouse, which was once an essential component of Scottish seafaring, has been largely taken over by computerized equipment. Yet even though lighthouse signals may now be managed remotely, you can still see some of the most impressive engineering feats in the nation. Below are the top ten.
1. Kinnaird Head and the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, Fraserburgh
Kinnaird Head is the place to go if you want to discover what life was actually like for Scotland’s lighthouse keepers. The lighthouse, the first to be constructed on Scottish soil, also has a museum devoted to the occupation.
There, guests can don a lighthouse keeper’s uniform and tour the immaculately kept keeper’s quarters. You can also take a guided tour of the lighthouse itself, although you should be advised that the location is said to be haunted by a ghost.
When he didn’t like the man Isobel chose as her partner, Sir Alexander Fraser shackled him to a rock in a nearby cave and let him drown. Isobel was so overcome with grief that she threw herself from the castle’s tower, where she is now rumored to be seen roaming around wretchedly during storms.
2. Low Light, Isle of May
Don’t let the fact that you can only get to the Isle of May by boat from Anstruther or North Berwick deter you. If you want to see puffins during the summer, the entire island, which is classified as a national nature reserve, is a great site for a day excursion.
There are two lighthouses on the island, but the Low Light, a charming white building positioned in the north, is now a tranquil bird observatory. Make sure to visit it as well as the larger gothic lighthouse, which was manned until 1989, if you decide to travel to the island.
3. Dunnet Head Lighthouse, Dunnet
Not only is it worthwhile to visit Dunnet Head to see the lighthouse, but you can also brag about traveling to the northernmost point on the British mainland. The Dunnet Head lighthouse includes a plaque that proudly declares its position at the (literal) top, contrary to popular belief that John O’Groats bears the title of “most northerly” location.
Before exploring the area at the foot of the lighthouse and taking in the views, you can compete with other tourists to get your photo taken at the sign. The keeper’s cottage is the closest accommodation to the real lighthouse, but while you’re nearby, be sure to visit the Dunnet Bay Distillery. The family-run business, which makes Holy Grass Vodka and Rock Rose Gin, conducts distillery tours that end with a sampling session at a banquet table.
4. Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, Dumfries, and Galloway
The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse is perched on a rock at Scotland’s southern point, and reaching the top will reward you with some absolutely breathtaking views. It’s not an easy trek up the 115 steps to the viewing platform, but once you’re there, you can look across to Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Cumbria, and you could even see some dolphins in the ocean. Also, there is a display where visitors can discover how lighthouses operated in the pre-automation era and listen to a demonstration of the original Mull of Galloway foghorn.
5. Buchan Ness Lighthouse, Aberdeenshire
On the shoreline of Aberdeenshire, this striking red-banded lighthouse stands out. But, staying in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage, available for vacation rental, is the ideal option if you want to be near Buchan Ness. The two cottages, which sit at the base of the lighthouse, are encircled by a private garden that is off-limits to the general public, so you may relax without being disturbed.
6. Neist Point Lighthouse, Skye
For the aspiring photographers out there. Neist Point Lighthouse, which is perched atop the highest point on Skye, is begging to be captured in dramatic landscape photographs, especially after dusk.
Although it is off the beaten path, it is growing more and more popular with tourists, like most sites on Skye, so your best chance is to attempt to arrive early. It takes around 45 minutes to walk to the lighthouse, and there are some steps and rough areas to be aware of.
7. Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, Western Isles
The Butt of Lewis has nothing between it and North America and holds the (unenviable) Guinness World Record for having the most wind in the UK. As a result, it makes for an impressive setting for a lighthouse, and the one it has is notable.
Red brick was (unusually) used in the construction of the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, which cost just £4900 to complete in 1859. Since it was automated in 1971, the principal visitors are seabirds and travelers taking in the surrounding undeveloped areas of shoreline.
8. Barns Ness Lighthouse, East Lothian
Robert Louis Stevenson is well-known as the author of Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Kidnapped. The fact that he hails from a line of lighthouse engineers, with his grandfather Robert Stevenson designing the majority of Scotland’s most renowned lighthouses, is probably less well known.
Nonetheless, the 121-foot Barns Ness Lighthouse, built by the author’s cousin David Stevenson and inaugurated in 1901 but deactivated in 2005, was his idea. Contemporary tourists can meander around the lighthouse’s grasslands, sand dunes, and beaches before gazing up at its majestic edifice.
9. Cape Wrath Lighthouse, Sutherland
Although Dunnet Head is the northernmost lighthouse on British soil, Cape Wrath is the one that feels the most isolated. Although it requires a boat and a minibus to get there, it is a great day trip if you want to feel like you are far from civilization.
The dangerous cliffs provide a dramatic element, and it is mind-boggling to consider how alone the lighthouse keepers originally were there. The lighthouse keeper’s cottage doubles as a café for contemporary visitors, serving up some welcome hot beverages and refreshments.
10. Eilean Mòr Lighthouse, Eilean Mòr
Eilean Mor is the location of one of Scotland’s longest-running island mysteries, where Captain James Harvey first learned of the disappearance of the lighthouse’s three resident keepers in December 1900.
Joseph Moore, the replacement keeper who had accompanied Harvey on his journey, discovered a desolate lighthouse with half-eaten meals and overturned chairs but no sign of the men he had been assigned to replace.
The whereabouts of the three seasoned lighthouse keepers remain a mystery to this day.
