Name and Location

Duncansby Head Lighthouse is an active coastal light located at the north-eastern tip of mainland Scotland. Its official name is Duncansby Head Lighthouse, with an address of Unnamed Road, Duncansby Head, Wick, KW1 4YS, United Kingdom. The lighthouse is situated in Dunnet & Canisbay parish, Highland Council, Scotland.

2. Construction and History

The Duncansby Head Lighthouse was erected in 1924 by the Northern Lighthouse Board engineer David A. Stevenson. It was constructed during the early 20th century post-Great War lighthouse expansion era using local rubble masonry with a rendered finish and a cast-iron lantern.

3. Architecture and Materials

The tower has a cylindrical shape, single gallery, and lantern on top. The structure is 19 meters (62 feet) tall above its base and features a focal height of approximately 32 meters (105 feet) above mean sea level. The tower and lantern are painted white, with handrails and the dome in black.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse guides vessels passing between the Pentland Firth and the open North Sea. It emits a nominal light range of 22 nautical miles (approximately 41 kilometers) with a characteristic of Fl(2) W 15 s (two white flashes every 15 seconds). The optic is a rotating Fresnel lens, powered by mains electricity with battery backup.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The grounds are open to the public at all times, but the tower interior is closed to visitors. A small lay-by off the single-track road from John o' Groats offers parking for vehicles. A well-defined coastal trail leads to a viewpoint over the stacks. There are no on-site facilities or services available; the nearest amenities can be found in John o' Groats or Wick (20 kilometers south).

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers panoramic views north toward the Orkney Islands, east across open sea, and south along the Caithness coast. The surrounding landscape features dramatic sunsets and winter storms, making it a popular location for landscape photography.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local folklore holds that on stormy nights, the phantom light of an earlier beacon can sometimes be glimpsed dancing among the stacks. Keepers' tales from the 1924-1987 period describe provisioning runs by fishing cobles in weather so rough only the most seasoned captains dared the Pentland Firth.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse remains fully operational under Northern Lighthouse Board management, monitored remotely. It is not equipped with AIS or radar transponder systems; vessels rely on shore-based systems instead. The sea room around the lighthouse offers open ocean exposure, with caution advised for tidal races in the Pentland Firth.

9. Further Information

For more information on Duncansby Head Lighthouse, visit the Northern Lighthouse Board website (https://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/) or consult the Historic Environment Scotland's lighthouse survey database.