Barra Head Lighthouse
Q8PW+5J Isle of Barra, UK
Name and Location
The Barra Head Lighthouse, also known as Taigh-solais an Ceann Bharraigh or simply The Head Light, is located on the southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, UK. Its coordinates are 56°47′7.58″ N, 7°39′12.46″ W.
2. Construction and History
The lighthouse was first illuminated in 1833, designed by Alan Stevenson, a member of the famous Stevenson lighthouse-building family. It was fully automated in 1980, becoming one of the earliest high-cliff lighthouses to be unmanned, with remote monitoring by the Northern Lighthouse Board.
3. Architecture and Materials
The Barra Head Lighthouse is a 19th-century Scottish tapering tower made from local pink granite, with a whitewashed exterior and a red-roofed lantern room. The tower stands at an impressive height of 31 meters (102 feet), with a focal height of 208 meters (682 feet) above high water.
4. Light and Navigation
The lighthouse features a flashing white light every 15 seconds, with a range of 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers). It has an Admiralty number of A4020 and is listed in the NGA catalog as #2096. The light sequence consists of one 0.3-second flash followed by 14.7 seconds of darkness.
5. Accessibility and Visiting
The lighthouse is extremely remote, accessible only by boat from Castlebay (Barra) and a 10-kilometer footpath over moorland. There are no regular visitor services, and the light tower and keepers' quarters are not open to the public.
6. Notable Views and Landscape
The surrounding environment offers breathtaking views of windswept machair, heath, and steep cliffs dropping into the Atlantic. On a clear day, visitors can see the St Kilda archipelago. The area is home to breeding seabirds, including Fulmar, Guillemot, and Razorbill.
7. Anecdotes and Folklore
The lighthouse has a reputation for guiding lost fishermen safely home on "light-haunted" nights when phantom flashes appear. During World War II, the keepers maintained a listening post for enemy submarines. The area is also notorious for shipwrecks, including the "Skerryvore Incident" in 1835.
8. Technical and Operational Details
The lighthouse operates with a mains AC generator, replacing the original oil lamp during automation. It features radar reflectors and an AIS virtual beacon (MMSI 992351095). The Northern Lighthouse Board manages the site, and it remains an active major coastal light.
9. Further Information
Details
| Name | Barra Head Lighthouse |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Country | Uk |
| Coordinates | 56.7854395, -7.6534606 |
| Year of construction | 1833 |
| Events | Shipwrecks |
| Historic significance | one of the earliest high-cliff lighthouses; superb example of Stevenson family work |
| Stories | Shipwrecks: Barra Head is notorious for 'The Skerryvore Incident' in 1835—small schooner Echo foundered on nearby reefs.; Keeper stories: polar-like isolation; during WW II the keepers maintained a listening post for enemy submarines. |
| Architectural style | 19th-century Scottish tapering tower, granite masonry |
| Architect | Alan Stevenson |
| Construction material | "local pink granite; whitewashed exterior; red-roofed lantern room" |
| Focal height | 208 |
| Tower height | 31 |
| Access description | by boat from Castlebay (Barra) then a 10 km strenuous footpath over moorland |
| Accessible | false |
| Landscape type | windswept machair, heath and steep cliffs dropping into the Atlantic |
| View description | panoramic views to the St Kilda archipelago on a clear day; dramatic sunsets over the sea |
| Guided tours | false |
| Nearby attractions | [{"name":"Castlebay Castle (Kisimul Castle)","url":null},{"name":"Barra Island","url":null},{"name":"Vatersay: Bird observatory, prehistoric burial cairns","url":null},{"name":"St Kilda: World Heritage Site (boat excursions from Barra)","url":null}] |
| Light characteristic | "Fl W 15 s" |
| Light range | 18 |
| Automated | true |