The Tiumpan Head Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located in

Tiumpan Head Tiumpan Head (Scottish Gaelic:''Rubha an Tiùmpain'' or ''Rudha an Tiùmpain'') is the north-eastern end of the Point peninsula on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Tiumpan Head Lighthouse has marked the western limit of The Min ...

, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

History

The idea for the Tiumpan Head Lighthouse in the village of

Portvoller Portvoller ( gd, Port Mholair) is a small village on the north tip of the Eye Peninsula (which along with Melbost and Parkend makes up Point), on the Isle of Lewis in northwestern Scotland. It is on the A866 from the Outer Hebrides' only town, ...

Point Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Point ...

, Isle of Lewis was long promoted, but refused for many years by the Board of Trade. After a recommendation by the Western Highlands and Islands Commission to additionally keep a watch on illegal trawlers, it was approved in May 1879. The lighthouse and building were designed by

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and Charles Stevenson and built by John Aitken, at an estimated cost of £9000. William Frew was appointed as inspector of works.

Chance Brothers Chance Brothers and Company was a glassworks originally based in Spon Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands (formerly in Staffordshire), in England. It was a leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glassmaking technology. The Chance fam ...

made the optics and Dove and Co. the revolving machine. The light was first exhibited on 1 December 1900. Six lightkeepers were attached to the station, three lightkeepers and their families at the station, with a local assistant and two occasional lightkeepers coming in from

Portnaguran Portnaguran () is a settlement situated within Point, on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Portnaguran is the township at the north-easternmost point of the peninsula. It lies southwest of Tiumpan Head and just south of the h ...

village nearby.

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

visited the lighthouse in 1956, with the young Duke of Cornwall and the

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

. The seven-year-old heir to the throne sounded the first blast on a new fog siren. The fog signal was operated by compressed air supplied from a compressor, driven by a Kelvin Diesel engine. There were three Kelvin engines and compressors, and when the fog signal was in operation, two of them were in service to maintain the required air pressure with one standby, in rotation. In 1984, the fog signal was discontinued and the fog horn building was demolished. The lighthouse was automated in 1985 and is monitored from Edinburgh. The former keepers' accommodation is no longer needed and is now home to kennels and a cattery.

References

External links

Northern Lighthouse Board
{{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1900 Lighthouses in Outer Hebrides Category C listed lighthouses

History

See also

References

External links