Sumburgh Head Lighthouse is a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
on
Sumburgh Head at the southern tip of the
Mainland
Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or demogr ...
of
Shetland
Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...
.
History
The lighthouse was built by
Robert Stevenson in 1821 and is the oldest lighthouse in Shetland.
From 1906 until 1987, there was also an active
foghorn
A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. ...
,
which was originally traversable in azimuth. This replaced the fog bell, which had been presented after the loss of the ' in 1864. The bell now hangs in the parish church at
Dunrossness.
The light was automated in 1991 and the keepers' houses were converted into holiday accommodation. The foghorn was restored in 2015 and sounds on special occasions. The lighthouse complex also has offices for the
RSPB
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...
who look after the bird reserve which surrounds the lighthouse.
The
Northern Lighthouse Board
The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) is the general lighthouse authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for ocean, marine navigation aids around coastal areas.
History
The NLB was formed by ...
operate the light, whilst the
Shetland Amenity Trust own the site and restored the lighthouse facilities and built a visitor centre which opened in 2014.
The lighthouse is protected as a
category A listed building
Category, plural categories, may refer to:
General uses
*Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy
* Category of being
* ''Categories'' (Aristotle)
* Category (Kant)
* Categories (Peirce)
*Category (V ...
.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Scotland
*
List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
*
List of Category A listed buildings in Shetland
References
External links
Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve– official site
Northern Lighthouse Board
Lighthouses completed in 1821
Lighthouses in Shetland
Category A listed buildings in Shetland
Category A listed lighthouses
Tourist attractions in Shetland
Protected areas of Shetland
Works of Robert Stevenson (civil engineer)
Mainland, Shetland
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