Sumburgh Head Lighthouse
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| Location | Sumburgh Head Shetland Scotland |
|---|---|
| OS grid | HU4072307872 |
| Coordinates | 59°51′15″N 1°16′29″W / 59.854053°N 1.274585°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1821 |
| Built by | Robert Stevenson  |
| Construction | Masonry tower |
| Automated | 1991 |
| Height | 17 metres (56 ft) |
| Shape | Cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | White tower, black lantern, ochre trim |
| Operator | Sumburgh Head Lighthouse[1][2] |
| Heritage | category A listed building |
| Fog signal | Type Siren, 1 blast every 90s Operational from 1906–1987 Restored in 2014 |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 91 metres (299 ft) |
| Range | 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 30s. |
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Sumburgh Head at the southern tip of the Mainland of Shetland.
History
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The lighthouse was built by Robert Stevenson in 1821 and is the oldest lighthouse in Shetland.[1] From 1906 to 1987, there was also an active foghorn,[2] which was originally traversable in azimuth. This replaced the fog bell, which had been presented after the loss of the Royal Victoria in 1864. The bell now hangs in the parish church at Dunrossness.[2]
The Northern Lighthouse Board operate the light, which was automated in 1991, whilst the Shetland Amenity Trust own and operate the surrounding property.
In 2002, the Trust took ownership of the former keepers' cottages, which were then converted into holiday accommodation. In 2014, the Trust opened a visitor centre on the site and restored the lighthouse facilities as well as the foghorn, which is sounded occasionally. Both the lighthouse and the foghorn are protected as Category A listed buildings. The lighthouse complex also has offices for the RSPB who look after the bird reserve which surrounds the lighthouse.[1][3][4][5]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Scotland: Shetland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- 1 2 3 Sumburgh Head Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 29 May 2016
- ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Sumburgh Head, Sumburgh Lighthouse... (Category A Listed Building LB5442)". Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ↑ Munro, Alistair (14 March 2015). "Blast from the past: Sumburgh foghorn sounds again". The Scotsman. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ↑ Hamilton, Alastair (27 February 2015). "Sumburgh Head Foghorn Sounds Again". Shetland.org. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve – official site
- Sumburgh Head Lighthouse on Lighthouse Holidays page
- Northern Lighthouse Board
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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