Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands
Date 2007
Event ID 929424
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/929424
Leading Lights, Torry
The construction of the North Pier and South Breakwater at the entrance to Aberdeen harbour restricted the width of the navigation channel, and it became necessary to provide a navigational aid to assist vessels entering the harbour.
To this end in 1842 the harbour authorities erected leading lights in the form of two lighthouses about 38 ft Cast-high and octagonal in cross-section with sides at the base of 334 ft and at the lantern of 1 3/4ft. These lighthouses were designed by harbour engineer James Abernethy, and were constructed of cast-iron.
Externally the castings are detailed to simulate local granite ashlar masonry, while internally they exhibit the typical bolted flange details associated with construction of cast-iron tunnel linings. The two lowest hexagonal elements of the towers are single castings while at higher
levels the castings are vertically and horizontally jointed. The contractors for the ironwork were James Abernethy and Co., Aberdeen.
R Paxton and J Shipway, 2007.
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Highlands and Islands' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
