Hoy Low
WMRQ+5X Stromness, UK
Name and Location
Hoy Low Lighthouse stands on Graemsay, Stromness KW16 3NG, Orkney, Scotland, UK. Its coordinates are 58°56′25.4″ N, 3°18′36.2″ W (decimal 58.940388, –3.3100615). The location can be viewed on the OpenStreetMap website.
Construction and History
The exact date of construction is unknown, but it is likely to have been built in the 19th century when many Orkney aids to navigation were established. Hoy Low Lighthouse serves as a lower range light, forming a leading line into Stromness harbour with its counterpart, Hoy High Lighthouse.
Architecture and Materials
The tower is a slender, cylindrical stone structure with a gallery, painted white. It stands 17 metres above base level and has a focal height of approximately 17 metres above mean high water.
Light and Navigation
- Hoy Low Lighthouse displays an Isophase white light with a period of three seconds (Iso W 3s).
- The visible sectors are 070°–255°, partially obscured to others.
- Its range is 15 nautical miles, and it is listed on Admiralty A 3644 and NGA 2636 charts.
Accessibility and Visiting
The tower and enclosed base are private and not open to visitors. However, the site can be viewed and photographed from the nearby road. Visitors can reach Hoy Low Lighthouse by ferry from Stromness to Graemsay (seasonal service, foot passengers only) and then follow the minor roadway northwards across Graemsay.
Notable Views and Landscape
Technical and Operational Details
Hoy Low Lighthouse is fully automated and has no on-site keeper. It does not have radar or AIS co-location at the tower itself.
Further Information
For further information, please refer to the Northern Lighthouse Board "List of Lights" (UKHO), Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals, Volume D (NP 281), OpenStreetMap data: way/205075681, Wikidata: Q17827193, and GeoHack map: https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?params=58.940388_N_3.3100615_W
Details
| Name | Hoy Low |
|---|---|
| City | Stromness |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 58.940388, -3.3100615 |
| Architectural style | stone |
| Construction material | stone |
| Focal height | 17 |
| Tower height | 17 |
| Heritage status | false |
| Access description | Ferry from Stromness to Graemsay (seasonal service, foot passengers only), Follow the minor roadway northwards across Graemsay to the headland where Hoy Low stands |
| Accessible | false |
| Landscape type | coastal farmland and low grassland on northern Graemsay; sheltered waters of Scapa Flow to the south; Hoy’s hills visible across the channel |
| View description | panoramic seaward views across the Pentland Firth and inbound views along the Graemsay–Mainland passage. |
| Facilities | toilets, café, gift shop |
| Nearby attractions | Hoy High Lighthouse (rear range light) on Mainland Orkney, across the channel, Italian Chapel, Lamb Holm (WWII heritage), Stromness Museum and historic harbour |
| AIS Radar | false |
| Light characteristic | Iso W 3s |
| Light range | 15 |
| Automated | true |