Name and Location

Sule Skerry Lighthouse is a major sea-light located in the North Atlantic, under the authority of the Northern Lighthouse Board. It marks the remote Sule Skerry rocks, situated 60 km west of the Orkney mainland, Scotland, UK.

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse remains an active fixed aid to navigation equipped with modern electronic transponders. Its managing authority is the Northern Lighthouse Board (based in Edinburgh and Glasgow). The exact date of construction and first lighting are not recorded here.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower form is a cylindrical masonry tower, painted white with a single gallery and lantern gallery. It is likely constructed from granite and other local stone, typical of late-Victorian Scottish lighthouses. The tower height is not specified, but the focal height (light above high-water level) is 34 meters.

4. Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is group flashing—two white flashes every 15 seconds; pattern 0.2 s flash, 3.6 s eclipse, 0.2 s flash, 11 s eclipse (denoted Fl(2) W 15 s). The nominal range is 21 nautical miles. The Admiralty reference is A3868, and the NGA number (US-compiled) is not specified. The lighthouse also features a Racon (radar transponder) Morse “M” (- –) responding on X-band, as well as an AIS AtoN broadcast: MMSI 992351082, category “AIS Aids to Navigation”.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The purpose of the lighthouse is to continue in active use to warn shipping of the Sule Skerry hazard. There are no longer keepers; it is remotely monitored from the Northern Lighthouse Board control centre. Public access is none—landing is weather-dependent and generally not permitted; there are no visitor facilities or tours.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features an exposed rocky reef surrounded by deep Atlantic swells, making it a popular subject for marine photographers when conditions permit. The island flora & fauna include an important seabird breeding site (e.g., puffins, gulls).

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

There are no well-documented local legends pertaining specifically to Sule Skerry Lighthouse, though the wider archipelago is rich in Norse folklore.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated; it has been since automation in the late 20th century. On-site equipment includes solar panels and battery banks (presumed) to power lamp and electronics.

9. Further Information

For further information, please visit:

• https://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Sule-Skerry/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sule_Skerry_Lighthouse
• Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals Vol A (NP 68), entry A3868
• “Scottish Lighthouses” (Ritchie, 1969) – survey of NLB-built stations