(I think I’ve visited all if not most of the lighthouses along the Aberdeenshire coastline, but please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m always up for visiting a new lighthouse!)
From North to South here are the five lighthouses of Aberdeenshire.
1. Kinnaird Head
Kinnaird Head has been through many changes. It originally started life as a castle, built for the Fraser family in the 1500s but in 1787 a huge lamp was placed on the roof of the castle making it the first lighthouse built by the Northern Lighthouse Board. By 1824 the famous Robert Stevenson had built a foundation, walls and a classic spiral staircase through the middle of the castle (whilst still preserving the original structure). Now, it’s an excellent museum. Although it’s no longer operational the light mechanism of the lighthouse is still in working order and it looks very much like it did when the last crew left. It’s a pretty remarkable place and even if maritime history isn’t normally your thing, it’s hard not to be wowed by the lives of the lighthouse keepers.
2. Rattray Head
Rattray head is iconic. If you’ve seen an Aberdeenshire lighthouse then it’s probably this one. Rattray head is normally surrounded by the cold North sea, but it can be reached at low tide (although this is something I haven’t been able to do yet). It’s iconic for a good reason as it’s incredibly photogenic, especially when it’s blowing a hooley and the waves are violently battering the lighthouse. Rattray head was built in 1895 and within 100 years in 1982 the last lighthouse keepers were withdrawn and the light became fully automatic.
Be forewarned that it’s not the easiest track to reach it so if your vehicle has low ground clearance or you’re rubbish at reversing you might want to re-think it!
3. Buchan Ness
Buchan Ness is a stunning red and white lighthouse situated in a lovely coastal town called Boddam just South of Peterhead. It was originally built in 1827 by Robert Stevenson and is now fully automated, sounding it’s last foghorn in 1988. The lighthouse keepers cottages are now privately owned and you can book a stay in them if you fancy a quirky holiday. I’ve never been myself but they have great reviews.
4. Girdle Ness
Girdle Ness is my local lighthouse, seeing as it’s located in the city of Aberdeen. It was built in 1833 by, you guessed it, Robert Stevenson after the wrecking of whaling ship that saw 43 out of 45 of it’s crew members die. The light is now fully automated since 1991. It overlooks the stunning Greyhope bay which is a great spot to look out for dolphins and watch the standby and supply vessels come in and out of harbour.
Just in front of the lighthouse is an old fog horn which no longer sounds. It’s known locally as the ‘Torry coo that doesn’t moo’ (Torry being the part of the city the lighthouse backs onto).
5. Todhead
I guess the first and most important thing to say about Todhead lighthouse is that it is now a private residence so it’s important to respect that. There is no access up the lighthouse, although you can walk around it and soak in the beautiful scenery along the coastline. There’s also a facebook page run by the current owners that’s kept fairly up to date. A light first shone through Todhead in 1897, it was automated in 1988 and then fully decommissioned in 2007.
For further information, particularly about how the lighthouses fared in the war, the Northern Lighthouse Board has a great website.
In A Kingdom By The Sea 