Lighthouses of Eastern Scotland

This listing is for lighthouses of the North Sea coast of Scotland in Angus, Aberdeenshire and Moray, including the important port cities of Dundee and Aberdeen. Lighthouses of the southeast, including the Firth of Forth and its approaches, are listed on Southeastern Scotland page. The region covered by this page includes the great northeastern bulge of the coastline reaching to Rattray Head and Kinnaird Head.

The Northern Lighthouse Board, established by an act of Parliament in 1786, manages the major lighthouses of Scotland and the Isle of Man. For five generations, engineers of the Stevenson family created for the Board a network of elegant and durable lighthouses famous around the world. Most of these lighthouses remain in service today.

Information on the great NLB lighthouses is easy to find on the Internet, but it's harder to find information on the harbor lighthouses of Scotland's many ports. Special thanks to Bill Newman, Michael Spencer, and Ian Wright for their efforts in identifying and photographing many of these smaller lighthouses.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume A of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 114.

General Sources
Northern Lighthouse Board
The Board's web site includes information and photos for many of the lighthouses.
Online List of Lights - Scotland
Photos of Scottish aids to navigation by various photographers, posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouses in Scotland, United Kingdom
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
My (New) Lighthouse Page
Photos by amateur radio operator Bill Newman (MØBNN).
Ankes Leuchttürme - Schottland
A fine collection of 1998 photos.
Lighthouse Beacons from Scotland
Photos and very brief accounts posted by Shauma Krauskopf for her e-journal Scottish Radiance.
Lighthouses of Scotland
Rare photos contributed to the Directory by Michael Spencer.
The Stevensons
The history of Scotland's remarkable family of lighthouse engineers.
Britische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Scurdie Ness Lighthouse
Scurdie Ness Light, Montrose, September 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

Girdle Ness Light
Girdle Ness Light, Aberdeen, August 2010
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Iain Lees

Moray Lighthouses

Burghead and Lossiemouth Lighthouses
* Burghead North Pier
1883. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white light, occulting once every 8 s. 6 m (19 ft) octagonal pyramidal white concrete tower topped by a small lantern. Lantern is red. Trabas has a good photo, Newman also has photos, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the pier in Burghead. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Moray Council. ARLHS SCO-278; Admiralty A3424; NGA 2876.
* Covesea Skerries
1846 (Alan Stevenson). Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 20 s; a red flash is shown eastward over rocks near the shore. 36 m (118 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern is black. Keeper's houses and other light station buildings preserved. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the Lossiemouth Fisheries and Community Museum. Newman has photos, Trabas also has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The skerries are small rocky islands off the south coast of Moray Firth, but the lighthouse is not on the skerries; it is built on Craighead, a promontory of the mainland near the islands. Located about 5 km (3 mi) west of Lossiemouth, just off the coastal road B9040. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-053; Admiralty A3414; NGA 2860.
* Lossiemouth South Pier (2)
1902 (station established 1858). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery and an enclosed lower section. Trabas has a photo, Aaron Williams has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the south side of the entrance to Lossiemouth harbor. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Moray Council. Admiralty A3408; NGA 2856.

Buckie Lighthouses
* Buckie North Breakwater (Buckie Range Front)
Date unknown (1890s?). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red light, 7 s on, 3 s off. 15 m (50 ft) round stucco-covered stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A photo by Anne Burgess is at right, Tina Wirkner has a great closeup, another photo is available, Trabas has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 60 m (200 ft) from the end of the concrete breakwater sheltering the harbor of Buckie. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Moray Council. ARLHS SCO-333; Admiralty A3394; NGA 2840.
* Buckie Cliff Terrace (Buckie Range Rear)
1913. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, 1 s on, 1 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with a domed roof; the light is shown through a rectangular window. Lighthouse painted white, dome red. Trabas has a good photo, a 2009 photo shows the lighthouse freshly painted, and Ankes Leuchttürme also has a photo, although Anke mistakenly locates the lighthouse in Banff, 30 km (19 mi) east of Buckie. Google has a satellite view. This light and the north breakwater light (next entry) are no longer used as a range. Located on Cliff Terrace east of Cliff Street in Buckie. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Moray Council. Admiralty A3394.1; NGA 2844.
Buckie North Breakwater Light
Buckie North Breakwater Light, June 2006
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Anne Burgess

Aberdeenshire Lighthouses

Banff Area Lighthouses
* Portsoy Range Front
Date unknown (late 1800s). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); continuous white light. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round light tower with a round cast iron lantern house at one end of a rubblestone building. Lantern painted white. The light is shown from a 6th order Fresnel lens through a small window in the front of the lantern. Trabas has a photo, Marceline Smith has a view from a different angle, and Google has a satellite view. The rear light is mounted on a 4 m (13 ft) mast. Located on Shore Street on the waterfront of Portsoy, about 10 km (6 mi) west of Banff. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Aberdeenshire Council. ARLHS SCO-273; Admiralty A3368; NGA 2828.
* Macduff Pier
1905. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red, or green depending on direction. 11 m (36 ft) round stucco-covered stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Fog horn (2 blasts every 20 s). Trabas has a good closeup photo, Steve Brown has a photo, Tom Gardner has a fine closeup, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located at the end of the concrete breakwater sheltering the harbor of Macduff, on Banff Bay. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Aberdeenshire Council. ARLHS SCO-272; Admiralty A3348; NGA 2812.
* Rosehearty
1883. Inactive. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted white. John Gault has a photo, and a second photo is taken across the harbor, but clouds obscure Google's satellite view. Located at the end of the west pier in Rosehearty, about 6 km (3.5 mi) west of Fraserburgh. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed.

Fraserburgh Area Lighthouses
**** Kinnaird Head (2)
1824 (station established 1787). Inactive since 1991. Approx. 22 m (72 ft), including a round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery built atop a 16th century stone castle. Hyperradiant Fresnel lens (1902), larger than first order, one of the largest lenses ever built. Tower painted white with buff trim; lantern painted black. The keeper's houses and other light station buldings have been converted into a lighthouse museum. John Allan's photo is at right, Keith Bruce has a good closeup photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This was the first light station established by the Northern Lighthouse Board. The original tower was built in 1787 by Thomas Smith and then rebuilt in 1824 by his son-and-law Robert Stevenson, the founder of the Stevenson lighthouse dynasty. The museum has one of the world's largest collections of Fresnel lenses and lighthouse equipment. Located on a headland just northwest of Fraserburgh. Site open, museum and tower open daily except December 25-26 and January 1-2. Owner: Kinnaird Head Trust. Site manager: Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. ARLHS SCO-113.
* Kinnaird Head (3)
1991. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical fiberglass tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. John Allan's photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located adjacent to the historic lighthouse. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. Site manager: Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. ARLHS SCO-112; Admiralty A3332; NGA 2808.
Kinnaird Head Lighthouses
new and old Kinnaird Head Lights, February 2008
Geograph Creative Commons photo by John Allan
* Balaclava (Fraserburgh) Breakwater
1882. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two green flashes every 8 s. 21 m (69 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery mounted at the end of the concrete breakwater. Tower painted white with one narrow red horizontal band; lantern painted black. Fog siren (blast every 20 s) used only when fishing boats are expected. Keith Bruce has a good photo, Trabas has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. An elegant and well maintained pierhead lighthouse. Located at the end of the breakwater on the north side of the harbor at Fraserburgh. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Fraserburgh Harbour Commission. ARLHS SCO-271; Admiralty A3312; NGA 2788.
** Rattray Head
1895 (David A. Stevenson). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.7 s, every 30 s. 34 m (112 ft), including a 20 m (66 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery atop a 14 m (46 ft) conical granite base. The granite is unpainted; the brick tower is painted white, the lantern black. The onshore keeper's houses are now used as a bed and breakfast inn and tearoom. A good photo is available, Trabas has a photo by Arno Siering, and Marinas.com has aerial photos, but the lighthouse is not seen in Google's satellite view. This lighthouse, located just off the beach, has an unusual design representing a compromise between onshore and offshore requirements. The light marks the northeastern "shoulder" of Scotland. Fred Fox, a former keeper, has posted an account of his experiences there in 1978. Located about 13 km (8 mi) north of Peterhead and a similar distance southeast of Fraserburgh. Accessible by car; parking available. It is possible to walk to the lighthouse, with caution, at low tide. Site open; tearoom open daily except Tuesdays from Easter through October and on weekends in the winter. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. Site manager: Rattray Head B&B and Ratty's Tearoom. ARLHS SCO-179; Admiralty A3304; NGA 2776.

Peterhead Area Lighthouses
* Peterhead Harbour South
1834. Inactive. 5 m (17 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. A photo is available (2/3 the way down the page, captioned "Peterhead north harbour"), and the tower is centered (partly surrounded by a curved wall) in a Google satellite view. The light formerly stood at the south entrance to the inner basin, but with expansion of the quays it can no longer serve this purpose. Located on a crowded quay roughly opposite the north light. Site open, tower closed.
* Peterhead Harbour North (West Pier Elbow)
1849. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); quick-flashing red light. 5 m (17 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern. Tower unpainted, lantern painted white. A photo is available (2/3 the way down the page, captioned "Peterhead harbour entrance"), and Google has a satellite view. This light and its companion are very poorly known; thanks to John Mobbs for bringing them to my attention. Located on the west pier at the entrance to the old inner basin of Peterhead. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Peterhead Port Authority. ARLHS SCO-282; Admiralty A3291; NGA 2760.
Peterhead South Breakwater
1906. Active; focal plane 24 m (78 ft); two red flashes every 12 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cast iron tower mounted a large circular concrete base at the end of the breakwater. Lighthouse painted white with a black band at the base. A fine closeup photo also shows Buchan Ness in the distance. A closeup photo is available, Trabas has a good photo, Michael Spencer has contributed a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. Peterhead is a deepwater port used heavily to support the oil and gas rigs of the North Sea field. Located at the end of the breakwater at Salthouse Head on the south side of Peterhead. Site and tower closed as far as is known. Operator: Peterhead Port Authority. ARLHS SCO-281; Admiralty A3284; NGA 2744.
* Buchan Ness
1827 (Robert Stevenson). Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 5 s. 35 m (115 ft) round granite tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is painted white with a broad red horizontal band around the center of the tower and a narrow red band around the gallery; lantern painted black. Keeper's houses and other light station buildings preserved. Richard Slessor's photo is at right, Trabas has a good photo by Arno Siering, another fine photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse marks the easternmost point of the Scottish mainland, although it actually stands on a small island, linked to the mainland by a bridge. Mel Priest and his family bought the island in 2006. They have restored the keeper's cottages, and in 2008 they opened the light station for holiday rentals. Located at Boddam, about 6 km (4 mi) south of Peterhead. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. Site manager: Buchan Ness Lighthouse Holidays. ARLHS SCO-024; Admiralty A3280; NGA 2740.
Buchan Ness Light
Buchan Ness Light, April 2006
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Richard Slessor

City of Aberdeen Lighthouses
* Aberdeen North Pier
1866. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white or red light (depending on direction), 4 s on, 2 s off; during fog a continuous yellow light is also shown from a focal plane of 10 m (33 ft). 9 m (30 ft) octagonal cast iron (?) tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Fog horn (one short and one long blast: this is the Morse code "A" for Aberdeen). Chris Sansbury has posted a photo, another good photo is available, Jake McKenzie has a photo also showing the south breakwater light (see below), Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The pier, 1000 m (3280 ft) in length, was built partly by John Smeaton in 1775-1781 and extended by Thomas Telford in 1810-1815. Located at the end of the breakwater on the north side of the entrance to the River Dee in Aberdeen. Site and tower closed. The lighthouse is easily visible from shore. Operator: Aberdeen Harbour Board. ARLHS SCO-276; Admiralty A3252; NGA 2700.
* Torry Range Front
1842. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous light, red if it is safe to enter and green if it is not [sic]. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal cast iron tower, painted white. Trabas has a good photo by Arno Siering, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Sinclair Road on the south bank of the River Dee in the Torry district of Aberdeen. Site and tower closed, but the light can be viewed from outside a fence. Operator: Aberdeen Harbour Board. ARLHS SCO-001; Admiralty A3258; NGA 2720.
* Torry Range Rear
1842. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); continuous red light. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal cast iron tower, painted white. Trabas has a closeup photo by Arno Siering, another closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Sinclair Road on the south bank of the River Dee in the Torry district of Aberdeen, about 200 m (220 yd) southwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Aberdeen Harbour Board. ARLHS SCO-275; Admiralty A3258.1; NGA 2724.
* Aberdeen South Breakwater
Date unknown; breakwater built in 1815. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three red flashes every 8 s. Approx. 13 m (43 ft) tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a conical concrete base at the end of the breakwater. Tower painted white. Neil Beaton has a closeup photo, Trabas has a photo, another photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a fine satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater on the south side of the entrance to the River Dee in Aberdeen, about 750 m (1/2 mi) northwest of Girdle Ness Light. Site and tower closed, although the lighthouse is easily visible from shore. Operator: Aberdeen Harbour Board. ARLHS SCO-277; Admiralty A3250; NGA 2704.
* Girdle Ness (Aberdeen)
1833 (Robert Stevenson). Active; focal plane 56 m (184 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 20 s. 37 m (121 ft) two-stage tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern is black. About 1/3 of the way up the tower is a broad watch room with a window through which a second light was originally displayed; this lower light was discontinued in 1890. 1-story keeper's houses and other light station buildings. Adjacent to the lighthouse are two radio towers of the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), a satellite-based navigational service. The keeper's houses are privately owned and were reported for sale in 2004. Iain Lees's photo is at the top of this page, John Stewart has a fine 2008 closeup, Fred Fox (a former keeper) has posted his recollections of life at the station in 1973, Trabas has a photo by Arno Siering, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The original lantern, too small for a first order lens, was transferred to Inchkeith Light near Edinburgh in 1847. In 2003 the Lighthouse Board announced its intention of removing the foghorn, which was discontinued in 1987. The Aberdeen City Council intervened, and the foghorn, known locally as the Torry Coo, has been preserved. Located on Greyhope Road, on a headland southeast of the entrance to the River Dee in Aberdeen. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed from outside the enclosure. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-089; Admiralty A3246; NGA 2696.

Aberdeenshire South Coast Lighthouses
* Todhead Point
1897 (David A. and Charles A. Stevenson). Inactive since 2007. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) tower attached to a 1-story equipment building and 2-story keeper's house. Tower painted white with buff trim, lantern black. Gary Henderson's photo is at right, Stanley Howe has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. We need information on the current status of this discontinued light station. Located on a headland about 1.5 km (1 mi) south of Catterline and 8 km (5 mi) south of Stonehaven. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-243; Admiralty A3234; NGA 2680.
* Gourdon Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (99 ft); continuous red light. 6 m (20 ft) cylindrical brick tower with a conical roof; light shown through a window at the top of the tower. Tower painted white. Michael Spencer has contributed a photo, Trabas has a photo, Lighthouse Explorer has a photo by John Papp, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the south side of Queen Street, on the bluff above the harbor in Gourdon. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Aberdeenshire Council. ARLHS SCO-345; Admiralty A3228.1; NGA 2668.

Todhead Point Light, April 2008
Creative Commons photo by Gary Henderson

Dundee and Angus Lighthouses

Montrose Area Lighthouses
Montrose Range Rear
1818. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); continuous red light. 19 m (62 ft) brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted bright red. Newman's photo is at right, Michael Spencer has also contributed a photo, Trabas has a photo, Alan Morrison has a view of the lighthouse and town, and Google has a satellite view. Trabas also has a photo of the front light with the lighthouse appearing in the distance. Located on the north side of the entrance to the River South Esk in an area surrounded by commercial development, off Cobden Street near Ferry Road. Site open (there is parking adjacent to the lighthouse); tower closed. Operator: Montrose Port Authority. ARLHS SCO-336; Admiralty A3222.1; NGA 2644.
Montrose Inner Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); continuous green light. 32 m (105 ft) square skeletal tower. The top of the tower carries a small orange triangular daymark. Trabas has a photo. Located 180 m (590 ft) west of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty A3223.1; NGA 2652.
Montrose Inner Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); continuous green light. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower. The top of the tower carries a small orange triangular daymark. Trabas has a photo. Located near the east end of the quay on the south side of the river, off Brownlow Place. Site status unknown. Admiralty A3223; NGA 2648.
* Scurdie Ness
1870 (David and Thomas Stevenson). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 20 s. 39 m (128 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, watch room buff, lantern buff with a black dome. Original keeper's houses and other light station buildings. A photo appears at the top of this page, Trabas has an excellent photo, Anne Burgess has a good photo, Newman has a fine photo, Allan Ogg has another good photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. A handsome and accessible lighthouse. Located at the point on the south side of the entrance to the River South Esk and the harbor of Montrose Basin, about 2 km (1.5 mi) east of Montrose. Accessible by a popular hiking path. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-205; Admiralty A3220; NGA 2636.
Montrose Range Rear Lighthouse
Montrose Range Rear Light, 2006
photo copyright Bill Newman; used by permission

Bell Rock and Arbroath Lighthouses
* Arbroath East Pier
Date unknown (station established 1826). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); green flash every 3 s. 9 m square chimney-like masonry post rising from a 2-story masonry pierhead building. No lantern. Entire structure painted white. Darek Narwojsz has a sunset photo, Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the main breakwater pier in Arbroath. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty A3216; NGA 2632.
*** [Arbroath Signal Tower]
1813 (Robert Stevenson). Approx. 18 m (60 ft) cylindrical stone tower with a time ball mast, attached to a 2-story keeper's house. Entire structure painted white. A good photo and a second photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Until 1995 this elegant building was the shore station of the offshore Bell Rock Light, housing off-duty keepers and keepers' families. Today it is the local history museum, including displays on the lighthouse. In 2010 the museume closed for a £425,000 refurbishment. Located on Ladyloan Drive facing the harbor in Arbroath. Site open. The museum is closed for renovations; it is normally open daily except Sundays; also open Sundays in July and August. Owner: Angus Council (?). Site manager: Signal Tower Museum.
Bell Rock
1811 (Robert Stevenson). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white flash every 5 s. 36 m (118 ft) tapered stone tower with lantern and gallery, incorporating keeper's quarters. Tower painted white with a brown band at the base; lantern painted black and covered by a bird-protecting mesh. A photo is at right, Derek Robertson has a 2005 photo, John McMillan has a more distant photo, and David Taylor has a wonderful web site describing the construction and history of the lighthouse. Bell Rock, also called Inchcape, is an extremely dangerous reef that barely breaks the surface at low tide. Construction of the lighthouse took four years and was justly considered one of the greatest triumphs of early nineteenth century engineering. The light remains one of the world's most famous waveswept light towers. A fire damaged the interior of the lighthouse during the 1990s, although the damage was repaired. The tower was repaired and refurbished in 2010 in time for the celebration of its 200th anniversary in February 2011. There is also a shore station in Arbroath (see below). Located in the open North Sea about 19 km (12 mi) southeast of Arbroath. Accessible only by boat in very dangerous seas; visible at a great distance from Arbroath. Site and tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-020; Admiralty A3108; NGA 2616.
Bell Rock Light
Bell Rock Light, June 2011; Creative Commons photo
by the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers

Budden Ness Lighthouses
Buddon Ness Low (3)
1866 (David and Thomas Stevenson). Station established 1688. Inactive since 1943. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) round brick and stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Gwen and James Anderson have a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Buddon Ness is the southern tip of the Barry Links, a wedge-shaped sandy promontory at the northern entrance to the Firth of Tay south of Carnoustie. Lighting the point usefully is a problem due to the rapidly shifting channels in the area. The original (1688) lighthouse was replaced in 1753 by a wooden low light built on rollers for ease of relocation. In 1884 the current tower was also relocated, hauled by a steam engine over greased wooden rails a distance of 63 m (207 ft) northeast. This engineering feat, remarkable for its time, is the earliest known instance of a masonry lighthouse being relocated in one piece. Today the Sands are marked only by a small beacon and buoys mark the channels offshore. Long used for military training, the area is closed to the public. Owner: Forth Ports PLC. Site manager: Ministry of Defense. ARLHS SCO-283.
Buddon Ness High (3)
1866 (David and Thomas Stevenson). Station established 1688. Inactive since 1943. Approx. 27 m (90 ft) round brick and stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A radar beacon operated by Forth Ports is mounted on the tower. 2-story Victorian keeper's house. A circular storeroom attached to the keeper's house is probably the base of the second (1753) lighthouse. Richard Webb's photo is at right, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. After deactivation the lighthouse served for some years as an observation post, and for several years after 1987 it carried a radar scanner as part of a Dundee University research project. Located at the southern tip of the Barry Links, marking the entrance to the Firth of Tay. Site and tower closed. Owner: Forth Ports PLC. Site manager: Ministry of Defense. ARLHS SCO-025.

City of Dundee Lighthouses
* King William IV Dock (Dundee)
Date unknown (station established 1837). Inactive since the 1960s(?). 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern. The tower is unpainted, lantern painted white. A good photo is available, also a second photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse originally stood on the King William IV Dock in Dundee, but the dock was demolished when the Tay Road Bridge (A92) was built (1963-66). The lighthouse was relocated to a park just west of the bridge, near the Dundee Hilton Hotel. Planned development in this area may require that it be moved again. Site open, tower closed.
Buddon Ness High Light
Buddon Ness High Light, August 2009
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Richard Webb
* NLB Lightship North Carr
1932. Decommissioned 1975. Steel lightship, length 30.8 m (101 ft), beam 7.6 m (25 ft); 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal skeletal light tower, upper portion enclosed, with lantern. Entire ship painted red. A Fresnel lens from the ship is on display at the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh. Iris Klempau also has a page on the ship, with many photos, the Northern Lighthouse Board has a page on the history of the station, Earnest W. Adams has a good closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. This is Scotland's only surviving lightship. Except for wartime interruptions and maintenance, the ship served its entire career on the North Carr station off Fife Ness and the entrance to the Firth of Tay. In recent years the ship has been moored at Dundee as a headquarters and depot ship for the Maritime Volunteer Service. In 2004-05 the ship was restored at a cost of £65,000. Further restoration was scheduled for 2009. Moored on the City Quay on South Victoria Dock Road in Dundee. Site open, vessel closed. Owner/site manager: Maritime Volunteer Service. ARLHS SCO-151.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

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Notable faux lighthouses:

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Adjoining pages: North: Highlands | South: Southeastern Scotland

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted September 9, 2004. Checked and revised November 9, 2011. Lighthouses: 32, lightships: 1. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.