Todhead Lighthouse
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Todhead 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 ...
in
Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. The lighthouse is Category B listed. The lighthouse is located south of
Stonehaven Stonehaven ( ) is a town on the northeast coast of Scotland, south of Aberdeen. It had a population of 11,177 at th2022 Census Stonehaven was formerly the county town of Kincardineshire, succeeding the now abandoned town of Kincardine, Aberd ...
on the coastline between
Kinneff Kinneff is a roadside hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, just north of Inverbervie.Kinneff.
Catterline Catterline is a coastal village on the North Sea in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated about south of Stonehaven; nearby to the north are Dunnottar Castle and Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve. Other noted architectural or historic features in t ...
. Todhead is said to take its name from the Scots word for a
fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
(tod).


History

The lighthouse was completed in 1897 to the design and control of the engineer
David Alan Stevenson David Alan Stevenson (21 July 1854 in Edinburgh – 11 April 1938) was a lighthouse engineer who built 26 lighthouses in and around Scotland. Life He was born on 21 July 1854 the son of David Stevenson and his wife, Elizabeth Mackay. His e ...
. The lighthouse was electrified in 1978 and automated in 1986. The lighthouse remained under the control of 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 ...
until 2007 when the lighthouse was discontinued and the adjacent buildings sold in a public sale. The optic system, including the machine with the clockwork mechanism and
lens A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'') ...
were donated to the
National Museum of Scotland The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a museum of Scottish history and culture. It was formed in 2006 with the merger of the new Museum of Scotland, with collections relating to Scottish antiquities, culture and history, ...
. The mechanism and lens now form part of the permanent collection. The lantern and lens is 6-metres (20 ft) in height. In 2013, plans were submitted by Moxton Architects for the restoration, extension and conversion of the lighthouse and works were completed in 2018 winning best design in the Aberdeenshire Architectural and Landscape Design Awards.


Building and light characteristics

The lighthouse is composed of a short circular-section tower with a triangular-paned domed-top standard lantern. The buildings are decorated in Harling with exposed dressings.


References

{{reflist Lighthouses completed in 1897 Lighthouses in Scotland Buildings and structures in Aberdeenshire