Archaeology Notes

Event ID 802114

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/802114

NX09NW 5.00 02521 99706

NX09NW 5.01 Centred NX 02414 99776 Gas Works

NX09NW 5.02 NX 02453 99885 Pier (Highlandman's Walk)

See also:

NS00SW 2 NS 01913 00402 Fog Horn (Northern Horn House)

Name: Ailsa Craig (1882-6)

Location: N55 15 W5 06 Firth of Clyde, 10 miles W of Girvan

Designed and built: Thomas and David A Stevenson

Light first exhibited: 15 June 1886

Description: circular stone tower, painted white

Height of light above MHW: 59ft (18m)

Height of tower: 36ft (11m)

Light source and characteristics: W Fl (1) ev 4 secs 20. Acetylene: 40,000cp: nominal range 17nm

Fog warning apparatus: Discontinued

Manning: unwatched (automatic since 30 March 1990), monitored from Northern Lighthouse Board HQ, Edinburgh

Solar panels installed as part of automation process. Listed

C Nicholson 1995.

This island lighthouse is situated on the SE side of the prominent high island (also known as 'Paddy's Milestone') from which it takes its name. It guards the W side of the main entrance into the Firth of Clyde, and is notable for the addition of a complex system of fog signals.

Built by Thomas and D A Stevenson, the light was established in 1886 and automated in 1990. Two fog signals (in 'horn houses') were established at opposite ends of the island in 1883-6, being powered by gas supplied from a central gasworks (NX09NW 5.01) just NW of the tower. These were replaced by a Tyfon system (situated close to the tower) in 1966.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 26 April 2006.

R W Munro 1979; K Allardyce and E M Hood 1986; S Krauskopf 2001.

Light House [NAT]

OS (GIS) MasterMap, May 2010.