We are in Scotland with Iris (Lightshipfan) and her partner Dirk and are already having a great time.

Day one... Dundee ... The North Carr lightship is in need of a lot of tender loving care! She is the last of the two Scottish lightships (the other was scrapped) A group of enthusiasts is trying to raise enough money to get her cleaned up and painted.

Day One Pt II

We went to explore and found these three very close to where we are staying on the River Tay

The West Lighthouse is part of a private dwelling now:


The East Lighthouse is derelict


The Pile was built because the line of the East and West lights did not work right


This looks just perfectly like the living platform which was used when the Bell Rock lighthouse was built.

Thanks for posting these awsome photos! It's so nice to see lights from other countrys. One's that I will never get a chance to see for myself.

Neat lights Margret. One with a trampoline? That's a first. That last one out in the river looks like it's made from very large bedposts! Too bad the East light's derelict as it looks like it would be pretty awesome. Hard to believe there's only one lightship in all of Scotland. Hope it can be restored.

Well if you want to be splitting hairs, there are two lightships here... BUT ... the second one was converted and in any case is originally Irish... Penguin (or Arctic Penguin as she is now) we saw today... in Inverary on the West Coast of Scotland. But ... not in very good conditions... Un-loved !!


... but I am jumping the gun... this is day three already and day two is still missing... well hope you don't mind

Thanks for taking us along...

Got a photo of Iris + Friend?

I missed our Day 2
We went a long way up the east coast and visited the Northern Lighthouse Board's Museum of Scottish Lighthouses . This is situated at the old Kinnaird Heas Lighthouse.
On this picture you see the bad weather the museum on the right, the Kinnaird Head old light, the new smaller light and the fog horn.


Kinnaird Head Castle was built in the mid-sixteenth century by the eighth Fraser of Philorth.

In 1776 the then lord of this manner transferred the castle to the new Northern Lighthouse Board, who proceeded to built a lantern on the top.


Subsequently this lantern was re-designed several times (by the Stevenson family mostly) and eventually it came to the end of its financially viable life - the required modernization would have cost way too much.

So instead of modernizing this light, a new little tower was built next to it.

Here it is. And you can see the air tanks for the old air driven fog horn too.

Day 2 Pt II

After the museum we first visited the little Harbour Light we had seen from the Castle. (Don't know much about this one until I get chance to research it a bit more)



Then we drove along the coast and down an endless farm track (several miles of baaaad road - things we do for our hobby :p ) to get to the dunes where you can see this little beauty:


This is the Old Rattray Lighthouse lighthouse.

And a little further down the coast still, another beauty:


This is the Buchan Ness Lighthouse Lighthouse just south of Peterhead.

So now it is off into day four and the plans are for a bit of rest!

Absolutely fascinating pictures and narration, Margret. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say seeing photos of lights that the majority of us have never seen or heard of, is wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your adventure with us. Keep them coming!

Bob

Margret, Great photos and narrative !!!

This are some really nice lights. I hope I get back to the UK someday.

yes, I guess "lighthouse children" are not a common thing any more.

This lighthouse is a private dwelling and not open to the public. We took the pictures from a little lane that goes along side of the property.

I agree with everyone else. I love seeing these lights I know I'll probably never see first hand. Thanks for posting these great pictures and thanks for the interesting narration.

Above is a picture of the view from our window over the river Tay showing the TayBridge. We said WOW when we saw that.
Below is the reason we stayed put today. This was the view that greeted us this morning!



But tonight it is WOW again:



We are having a great time staying here:
Breamore

Anyone green with envy yet?

So, you stayed "home" today to enjoy the rainbow or because of the crummy weather???? Looks like a nice shack you have been staying at. Could be rough getting used to.

Yes, I am green with envy.

Margret, Sue and I drove pass some of these lights driving south towards Aberdeen. As Sue is not a lighthouse buff I have to compromise on how many lights I make her visit, so she can sightsee those thing she wants to see. This is what happens after you have been married fifty years! I envoy your ability to see some of these lights on the East coast of Scotland. Art

A little taster from Day 5

This is the lighthouse at Fife Ness - bit unusual isn't it...



Today we saw six lights and a lightship (we got a guided tour of the North Carr LV) So I will show the rest of the lights later, when I am a little less in need of sleep

These pictures have been so wonderful! Hope you don't mind I have been adding them to my slide show screen saver at work.

Unfortunately, it makes me want to stop working so that I can enjoy them again

... don't mind at all Melody! Glad you like them! We'll have some more when we get back home and get a chance to sort them out properly.

Margret, Great photos !!!

Keep them coming !!!

What a wonderful Lighthouseing Trip we are all taking through your eyes. Thank you for takeing us along!

to continue with Day 5 ...

My favourite way of picturing lighthouses: At work ... Elie Ness had just lit up when we approached ...


This is one of many "Stevenson Family" lighthouses along the Scottish coast. This one by David A. and first lit in 1908

And then the last lighthousing day - Day 6

The Tod Head Lighthouse is a little far out and hard to reach, but so worth the trip down the country lane!



Then we went south to near Montrose.

We wanted to walk out to Scurdie Ness (Phew... to far really, but we couldn't not see that one)

On the way - across the river - we saw Montrose Range Rear



Scurdie Ness is a beautiful lighthouse a couple of miles along the river ...


... and what a coast ... it is totally fascinating



This is the view from Scurdie Ness back towards Montrose

One more little story...
When we visited Fife Ness, we learnt a bit about how the offshore lights were built.

This is the Fife Ness Harbour ... or rather it was



Here was a life boat station in the old days and also the stones to build the ill fated attempt at putting a lighthouse on to the North Carr Rocks, were shaped here and shipped from here.


(picture from an information board near the harbour)

The attempt to build the light lasted 5 years in which they tried to build a tower on the North Carr Rocks. After 5 years of hard work, the tower was washed away in a storm and a light ship was stationed here instead.

ooppss... nearly forgot... one more little lighthouse...

This one stands on the banks of the river Tay by the Tay Bridge. It once stood on the docks at Dundee, but was moved here when the area was re-developed.



This was the King William IV Dock light. The Dundee library has a historic picture of how it used to look.

I knew there was a reason I hadn't posted thanks for doing such a Great job of taking us along, I was waiting for the last one to be posted.. I am so jealous, I have been wanting to visit the Scottish Lights for years, perhaps after we retire!

Very unique Lighthouses, Margret! Thanks for taking us along. I love the unique locations. How many are credited to the Stevenson's? Makes me anxious for our Ireland trip this summer.
Bob

Bob, I have never counted the total number of lighthouses by the Stevensons ... but the Northern Lighthouse Board has a LIST

Of the ones we saw 5 are Stevenson Family (incl. Thomas Smith who was Robert Stevenson's stepfather )

Paul, Scotland is well worth a visit or two. I really want to go back and explore the western shores. But even without the lighthouses, the place is fantastic !!! Brilliant landscape, friendly hospitable people and the sea ... What more can you wish for?

We had a great time!

Margret, Thanks to your pictures, so did we !!!

A view from the Kinnaird Castle Head lighthouse towards the fishing harbor of Fraserburgh and what I now know as the Balaclava Breakwater lighthouse



As promised I looked for more information about the pier light. It was first lit in 1882 and has a fog horn which is only sounded when the fishing fleet is expected.
Fraserburgh is Europe's largest shellfish harbor and also a large white fish harbor. Fish plays a huge part in the life of the place and if a picture could convey smell, you'd know about it. When I stepped out onto the gallery of Kinnaird Head, I was hit by the smell ... big time
You can see the fish market and processing plant in the front of the picture.

Thanks Margret, you have some great links here!
Bob

Margret, Guess Sue and I will have to come back to the UK just on a Lighthouse Hunt. Art

Margret & Etal, I just received the book,'Lighthouses' by Jackum Brown,and he qoutes on page 102, that the Stevenson family built 97 lighthouses. Art

I have certainly enjoyed your trip thanks to your wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing with us.