Lighthouses of Scotland

The major coastal lighthouses of Scotland, managed by the Northern Lighthouse Board, are relatively well known to lighthouse fans around the world, but the smaller lights of Scottish harbors, maintained by local harbour authorities, are not well known at all. Thanks to Michael Spencer for contributing these photos of some rarely-depicted lights of Scotland's east coast.

Oxcars
This attractive 22 meter (72 ft) masonry tower was built in 1886 on a tiny rock in the middle of the Firth of Forth. The lighthouse is in use, operated by Forth Ports PLC. Standing on a rock on the south side of the main channel, it guides ships through a dangerous section of the Firth. This view looks southward toward Granton and Edinburgh.

Newhaven East Pier
This octagonal, all-white tower was erected in 1869 at the end of a pier off Granton Road in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh's waterfront. According to the builder's plate, the cast iron tower was prefabricated in Edinburgh by James Dove and Company, which also supplied clockwork mechanisms for many Scottish lighthouses. The light is no longer in use, but I don't know when it was deactivated. The pier is open to the public and provides a panoramic view of the Firth. In particular, the Oxcars lighthouse is visible distantly from this point.

Inch Garvie
This diminutive light with its white lantern was built atop a dangerous rock in the middle of the Firth of Forth at Queensferry, 14 km (9 mi) west of Edinburgh. It remains in service despite being completely overshadowed by the great Forth Railway Bridge. Completed in 1890 after seven years of work, the spectacular cantilever bridge, 2500 meters (1.5 mi) long, was considered (and is still considered) an engineering wonder.

Fife Ness
This diminutive light is located at the northern entrance to the Firth of Forth east of St. Andrews. Although there are a number of other lights in the world that consist of a lantern placed directly on the ground, the modern appearance of this light (built in 1975) is quite striking. A chain link fence has been placed around the front of the building to keep passers-by away from the glass and to protect them from the powerful light.

Montrose Range Rear
A very poorly known lighthouse, this 62 foot brick tower does its work in an industrial area of Montrose, Angus, on the central east coast. To make it stand out in a drab area, the Montorse Port Authority has painted its lantern room bright red in defiance of the Scottish custom of black lanterns.

Gourdon Range Rear
Gourdon is a small port about 3 km (2 miles) south of Inverbervie and just off the A92 coastal highway in southern Aberdeenshire. This 20 foot brick tower, perched 100 feet above the harbor, is missing from most lists of Scottish lighthouses. The range points almost due south. The light is shown from a square window on the other side of the tower.

Peterhead South Breakwater
The port of Peterhead, close to the easternmost point of Scotland, is heavily used by ships supporting the offshore oil and gas wells of the North Sea. The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater is a 17 meter (56 ft) cast iron tower operated by the Peterhead Bay Authority. This photo is taken from the waterfront about 800 meters (1/2 mile) away, but the breakwater is open to the public and popular for fishing.

All photos copyright Michael Spencer. Used by permission.

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	Oxcars This attractive 22 meter (72 ft) masonry tower was built in 1886 on a tiny rock in the middle of the Firth of Forth. The lighthouse is in use, operated by Forth Ports PLC. Standing on a rock on the south side of the main channel, it guides ships through a dangerous section of the Firth. This view looks southward toward Granton and Edinburgh.
Newhaven East Pier This octagonal, all-white tower was erected in 1869 at the end of a pier off Granton Road in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh's waterfront. According to the builder's plate, the cast iron tower was prefabricated in Edinburgh by James Dove and Company, which also supplied clockwork mechanisms for many Scottish lighthouses. The light is no longer in use, but I don't know when it was deactivated. The pier is open to the public and provides a panoramic view of the Firth. In particular, the Oxcars lighthouse is visible distantly from this point.
	Inch Garvie This diminutive light with its white lantern was built atop a dangerous rock in the middle of the Firth of Forth at Queensferry, 14 km (9 mi) west of Edinburgh. It remains in service despite being completely overshadowed by the great Forth Railway Bridge. Completed in 1890 after seven years of work, the spectacular cantilever bridge, 2500 meters (1.5 mi) long, was considered (and is still considered) an engineering wonder.
Fife Ness This diminutive light is located at the northern entrance to the Firth of Forth east of St. Andrews. Although there are a number of other lights in the world that consist of a lantern placed directly on the ground, the modern appearance of this light (built in 1975) is quite striking. A chain link fence has been placed around the front of the building to keep passers-by away from the glass and to protect them from the powerful light.
	Montrose Range Rear A very poorly known lighthouse, this 62 foot brick tower does its work in an industrial area of Montrose, Angus, on the central east coast. To make it stand out in a drab area, the Montorse Port Authority has painted its lantern room bright red in defiance of the Scottish custom of black lanterns.
Gourdon Range Rear Gourdon is a small port about 3 km (2 miles) south of Inverbervie and just off the A92 coastal highway in southern Aberdeenshire. This 20 foot brick tower, perched 100 feet above the harbor, is missing from most lists of Scottish lighthouses. The range points almost due south. The light is shown from a square window on the other side of the tower.
	Peterhead South Breakwater The port of Peterhead, close to the easternmost point of Scotland, is heavily used by ships supporting the offshore oil and gas wells of the North Sea. The lighthouse at the end of the breakwater is a 17 meter (56 ft) cast iron tower operated by the Peterhead Bay Authority. This photo is taken from the waterfront about 800 meters (1/2 mile) away, but the breakwater is open to the public and popular for fishing.