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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 857409

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/857409

ND27NW 5.00 20273 76775

Dunnethead Lighthouse [NAT]

OS 1:10,000 map, 1975.

ND27NW 5.01 ND 20270 76756 Western Keepers House

ND27NW 5.02 ND 20301 76754 Eastern Keepers House

ND27NW 5.03 ND 20267 76808 Foghorn

EXTERNAL REFERENCE

Scottish Records Office

The Commissioners announce their intention to build 3 new lighthouses, Dunnet Head, Barra Head and S. side of Lismore. Letter from C. Cunningham says the commissioners have resolved to delay decision on Chickenhead (Stornoway).

1829 GD 46/17/77

(Undated) unformation in NMRS.

(Location cited as ND 203 768). Dunnet Head Lighthouse, established 1831, engineer Robert Stevenson. A simplified standard lighthouse, with a short circular tower in a semicircular base, with a corbelled parapet, and a circular domed diamond-paned lantern. The keepers' houses are plain rectangular buildings. There are two directable foghorns.

J R Hume 1976.

Dunnet Head lighthouse occupies the most northerly point of mainland Scotland and was built by Robert Stevenson in 1831, the contractor being James Smith of Inverness. The optical system was changed to lenses in 1852.

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

The lighthouse is painted white and well maintained.

Dunnet Head Lighthouse is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch (and 25-inch) map (Caithness, 1876, sheet 1) as four roofed buildings with three enclosures, a garden and a flagstaff. By the date of the 2nd edition of 1907 (ibid) a 'fog siren' had been added (NC27NW 5.03).

The Object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey describes this group as "The lighthouse, which was erected in 1832, is, at one part not much more than 50 feet from the edge of the precipice. During a heavy storm from the west, the enormous billows, as they dash against the rugged face of the cliff, throw up the spray as high as the light of the building, often mingled with stones which occasionally break the glass". "And such is the prodigious force of the wind and the sea united upon the headland, that the very rock itself seems to tumble: while the lighthouse shakes from top to bottom, as if it were affected by an earthquake". The light which is a fixed one is " seen at the distance of 23 miles. The height of the lantern above the highest spring tides is 346 feet".

This lighthouse was erected at a great expense by the Commissioners for Northern Lights- A small harbour or rather pier has been built by them at Brough for landing their stores, and a well made road connects it with the lighthouse.

There are a few acres of arable land and a garden belonging to the lighthouse [G Hobson] (ONB 1873).

The lighthouse continues to be maintained by the Northern Lighthouse Board and is now remotely controlled. It is not known whether the keepers cottages are occupied. The pier at Brough still exists (ND27SW 29).

Information from RCAHMS (DE), December 2007

People and Organisations

References