Name and Location

Covesea Skerries Lighthouse is situated on the exposed Covesea Skerries, a rocky islet in the Moray Firth about 3 km east of Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland. The nearest town is Lossiemouth, and the council area is Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed under the direction of the Northern Lighthouse Board in the mid-19th century to fill a navigational gap east of Lossiemouth harbour. The masonry tower and attendant keeper's houses were completed circa 1846. The light guided coastal traffic around the dangerous skerries for several decades before being permanently extinguished when more modern navigation aids rendered it redundant.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a freestanding conical tower made of local stone, with a height of 25 m above ground. The construction materials include local stone, lime mortar, and cast-iron lantern (now removed). The paint scheme was historically whitewashed tower with contrasting lantern gallery.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic was Fl(2) W 10 s, with an exact pattern unrecorded here. The nominal range is approximately c. 15 nautical miles. The lighthouse was never automated and was decommissioned before the automation era.

Accessibility and Visiting

Although the tower and adjacent keeper's cottages still stand, the island is wholly uninhabited and access to the lighthouse itself is restricted. The nearest public slipway is at Lossiemouth harbour, from which private boats or rigid-inflatable craft can reach the skerries in calm weather (landings require permission from the Northern Lighthouse Board). The keeper's houses onshore have been converted into private holiday accommodation.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the base of the lighthouse (at sea level) one enjoys panoramic views over Moray Firth, with frequent sightings of seals, seabirds, and seasonally dolphins. Onshore, Lossiemouth's sandy beaches and cliffs offer coastal walking routes, and nearby attractions include the RSPB reserve at Spey Bay and several historic whisky distilleries.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local mariners speak of sudden squalls that once battered the keeper's families on the exposed skerries. According to oral tradition, one 19th-century keeper survived a winter gale by tying himself to the lamp pedestal – a story retold in local Lossiemouth pubs.

Technical and Operational Details

The authority for the lighthouse is the Northern Lighthouse Board (original and caretaker). The nautical chart reference is Admiralty Chart No. 2673 (Moray Firth – Lossiemouth to Cullen).

Further Information

• Managing Authority: Northern Lighthouse Board
• Historic Environment Scotland listing database