Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

58°30′55.7″N 6°15′39.2″W / 58.515472°N 6.260889°W / 58.515472; -6.260889TowerConstructed1862Built byDavid Stevenson Constructionbrick towerAutomated1998Height37 metres (121 ft)Shapetapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lanternMarkingsbrick unpainted tower, black lantern, ochre trimOperatorNorthern Lighthouse Board^{[1] [2]}Heritagecategory A listed building LightFocal height52 metres (171 ft)Range25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi)CharacteristicFl W 5s.

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, designed by David Stevenson, was built at Butt of Lewis to aid shipping in the 1860s. Unusual for a lighthouse in Scotland, it is constructed of red brick, and is unpainted. The station was automated in 1998, one of the last to be converted. A modern differential GPS base station has now been sited on a nearby hill to further aid navigation. This hill was also the site for a Lloyd's Signal Station from the 1890s.

The road to the lighthouse passes a sheltered cove called Port Stoth. Agricultural lazy beds are also visible along the coast. The Butt of Lewis features some of the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in the Precambrian period up to 3 billion years ago.^{[citation needed]} Following the coast southwest from the lighthouse there is a natural arch called the "Eye of the Butt" (Scottish Gaelic: Toll a’ Ròigh). It can be best viewed from the Habost machair.

See also

• List of lighthouses in Scotland
• List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
• List of Category A listed buildings in the Western Isles

References

External links

Scotland
(except principal
island groups)The HebridesOrkneyShetlandIsle of Man