Name and Location

The Aberdeen North Pier Lighthouse, also known as the North Pier Head Light, is an active harbour light located on Scotland's northeast coast, marking the entrance to Aberdeen Harbour.

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed in the late 19th century as part of harbour improvements during the 1870s-1880s. The exact date of its establishment is unrecorded, but it is believed to have been first lit around 1880. Automation took place mid-century, with the light becoming fully automated by the 1980s.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a cylindrical harbour-pier design, occupying the pier head on a dressed stone/concrete footing. The tower height is approximately 6-8 meters above the pier deck, with a focal plane of 11 meters above mean high water. The light enclosure is unpainted, situated atop a low white or pale-grey pedestal, with a small service access hatch.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse features an occulting sequence of four flashes plus two flashes in each six-second cycle, visible for nine nautical miles. The range is divided into sectors: white (range 9 nm) between bearings 145°–336° and red (range 9 nm) between bearings 055°–145°.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The pier head is open to walkers and anglers, but there is no internal access to the lantern room. Visitors can reach the lighthouse on foot via Union Street and North Esplanade W, following the pier walkway. Limited parking is available near Beach Boulevard, with a 10-minute walk along the pier.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

• The surrounding environment offers scenic views of the North Sea, mouth of the River Dee, and Torry Battery on the south shore.
• Nearby attractions include Codona's Amusement Park (400 m east), Aberdeen Beach, and the Old Torry Battery & Maritime Museum (across the river).
• The area is known for frequent seal and seabird sightings, as well as occasional porpoise appearances in harbour approaches.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local mariners recall that during heavy gales, spray could nearly submerge the gallery on storm-tide. During World War II, the pier head light was dimmed or masked to prevent enemy navigation.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is unmanned and remotely monitored by harbour control. There is no dedicated radar on the tower; vessel traffic is monitored by harbour VTS (Vessel Traffic Service). The Admiralty Chart Reference is A 3252, Approaches to Aberdeen, and NTM & Notices to Mariners are published routinely by UKHO.

9. Further Information

For further information, consult "Aberdeen Harbour: A History," publications of the Aberdeen Harbour Board; UK Hydrographic Office's Admiralty Chart A 3252 (Approaches to Aberdeen); Northern Lighthouse Board's annual light list for Scotland; OpenStreetMap node/175990174 (light_major); and Wikipedia's "List of lighthouses in Scotland."