Field Visit

Date August 1979

Event ID 618816

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/618816

Tower and residential buildings etc erected 1802-6 initially

as an unlit beacon surmounted by a masonry ball; in 1806 the

revolving-light apparatus, the first in Scotland, was installed

and Start Point took over from North Ronaldsay the role of the

main light in the north of Orkney. The masonry ball removed from

Start was installed 1809 on the extinguished North Ronaldsay

light tower. In 1821 Wm Daniell published a well-known coloured

print showing the tower and buildings. In 1870 this tower was

demolished and replaced by the present 75ft high brick one on the

same site, but the ancilliary buildings (now boarded up) remains

exactly as on Daniel's print. The light went automatic in 1962.

[R1], OR 237,

Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) Aug 79.