Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

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.

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
Rubha Robhanais
Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
Outer Hebrides
LocationButt of Lewis
Lewis
Outer Hebrides
Scotland
Coordinates58°30′55.7″N 6°15′39.2″W
Year first constructed1862
Automated1998
Constructionbrick tower
Tower shapetapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / patternbrick unpainted tower, black lantern, ochre trim
Tower height37 metres (121 ft)
Focal height52 metres (171 ft)
Range25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 5s.
Admiralty numberA3968
NGA number3820
ARLHS numberSCO-027
Managing agentNorthern Lighthouse Board[1] [2]
Heritagecategory A listed building 

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 3000 million years ago. 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

References
  1. Butt Of Lewis (Rubha Robhanais) The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 18 May 2016
  2. Butt of Lewis Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 18 May 2016


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