Southerness lighthouse is located at the village of
Southerness in South West Scotland. It is at present the second oldest lighthouse in Scotland. The lighthouse was commissioned by the Town Council of Dumfries in 1748 to assist in the safe passage through the
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in ...
of ships heading to the
Nith Estuary. At that time roads in South West Scotland were quite sparse so the bulk of trade even between local villages, was carried out by sea. Dumfries was a major port and there were regular connections with Liverpool and, especially, Ireland. Construction was completed in 1749.
In 1805 the lighthouse was greatly improved under the guidance of the famous lighthouse engineer
Robert Stevenson Robert Stevenson may refer to:
* Robert Stevenson (actor and politician) (1915–1975), American actor and politician
* Robert Stevenson (civil engineer) (1772–1850), Scottish lighthouse engineer
* Robert Stevenson (director) (1905–1986), Engl ...
assisted by
James Slight.
The lighthouse was raised from its original structure twice, most notably between 1842 and 1844 to a design by
Walter Newall
Walter Newall (3 April 1780 – 25 December 1863) was a Scottish architect and civil engineer, born at Doubledyke in the parish of New Abbey in the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. He was the leading architect in the Dumfries a ...
.
The lighthouse was first lit around 1800 and was decommissioned in 1936. The light was extinguished due to financial reasons between 1867 and 1894. In 1894 it was restored at the expense of a local benefactress, Georgiana Blackett of Arbigland.
Gallery
File:Southerness lighthouse seen from the village.jpg, Lighthouse seen from the village.
File:Southerness lighthouse seen from the path.jpg, Lighthouse from the path.
File:Southerness lighthouse closer from the north.jpg
File:Southerness lighthouse from north west.jpg
File:Southerness lighthouse upper west side.jpg
File:Southerness lighthouse south side.jpg, Lighthouse from the beach.
File:Southerness lighthouse upper view from south.jpg
File:Southerness Lighthouse top.JPG, Top section showing erosion.
File:Southerness lighthouse entry door.jpg, Lighthouse entrance.
File:Southerness lighthouse on the left of the view.jpg
File:Southerness lighthouse on the right of the view.jpg
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Scotland
This is a list of lighthouses in Scotland. The Northern Lighthouse Board, from which much of the information is derived, are responsible for most lighthouses in Scotland but have handed over responsibility in the major estuaries to the port aut ...
*
List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
This is a list of the currently operational lighthouses of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). The list is divided by geographical location, and then by whether the lighthouses are classed by the NLB as a 'major lighthouse' or a 'minor light'. F ...
*
List of Category A listed buildings in Dumfries and Galloway
This is a list of Category A listed buildings in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
In Scotland, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of "special architectural or historic interest". ...
Notes
Lighthouses completed in 1800
Towers completed in 1800
Category A listed lighthouses
Buildings and structures in Dumfries and Galloway
Category A listed buildings in Dumfries and Galloway
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