Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
| Ardnamurchan lighthouse Taigh Solais Aird nam Murchan |
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| Place: | Ardnamurchan Peninsula | |
| Location: | Point of Ardnamurchan | |
| Geographical location: | 56 ° 43 '37.5 " N , 6 ° 13' 33.5" W | |
| Height of tower base: | 20 m | |
| Fire height : | 55 m | |
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| Identifier : | Blk. (2) w. every 20 s | |
| Scope knows: | 24 nm (44.4 km ) | |
| Operating mode: | electric | |
| Construction time: | 3 years | |
| Operating time: | since October 5, 1849 | |
The Ardnamurchan Lighthouse ( Scottish Gaelic : Taigh Solais Aird nam Murchan ) is a lighthouse on the west coast of Scotland . It is located at the Point of Ardnamurchan around 800 meters north of the Corrachadh Mòr rocky outcrop , which marks the westernmost point on the British mainland. There, the southern coastline of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula , which stretches along Loch Sunart and the Sound of Mull , meets the northern coastline, which runs parallel to the islands of Skye , Muck , Eigg and Rùm .
Surname
The origin of the name is controversial. Two meanings seem most likely. One interpretation relates to the words Airde , German: Stelle or Höhe, and Muirchu , German: Position of the seals or otters. The other possible explanation relates to the word muirchol ( col : meanness) and figuratively means "place of pirates".
history
In 1845 five square kilometers of land for the location of the lighthouse were bought from the owner Alexander Cameron for a sum of 20 pounds sterling . He was given an additional £ 58 to make up for the inconvenience of the construction.
The lighthouse was designed by Alan Stevenson , whose family designed most of Scotland's lighthouses over 150 years. The lighthouse is the only lighthouse in the world designed in an "Egyptian" style. This can be seen from the arches of the end below the platform as well as at the entrance to the tower and the chimneys of the houses. It was built from granite from the island of Mull . The construction phase took a total of three years. The beacon was lit for the first time on October 5, 1849 .
Two lighthouse keepers took care of the operation of the lighthouse. For that they got an annual salary of 18 pounds sterling. They also had the opportunity to keep two cows and a dozen sheep to make a living.
On the morning of January 22nd, 1852, there was a strong storm; Parts of the tower were damaged by a lightning strike. Around 12 meters of the road was washed away by the heavy sea and the boundary wall of the property was partially destroyed. Although the lighthouse keeper's boat was moored around 4.5 meters above the last known high water mark, it broke apart.
In 1988 the lighthouse was automated and is now looked after by the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh . The former guard house and the other outbuildings have been owned by the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust since 1996 , which has set up a visitor center there.
building
The lighthouse is 35 meters high, a staircase with 152 steps leads up. The height above sea level is 55 meters, the range of the beacon is 24 miles. The identifier of the beacon is flashing (2) white every 20 seconds.
Below the foot of the lighthouse there is a large red fog horn , which is now out of order and has been replaced by an electric one inside the lighthouse.
The lighthouse keeper's house has been turned into a museum. It provides technical information on how the lighthouse works, as well as a room recreating the life of the guards in the 1940s. The museum also has the original Fresnel lens , which has since been replaced by an electric beacon. Next to it is the restored machine house. The old stable building has been converted into a café and shop.
The entrance to the lighthouse is so narrow that there is probably the only traffic light within 80 kilometers to regulate one-way traffic.
The lighthouse was used as the backdrop for the film Charlie & Louise - The Double Lottery (1994). A replica of the lighthouse is the last stop in the PC game Sherlock Holmes: The Trail of the Awakened .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Iain Mac to Tailleir (PDF file), Placenames , p. 7, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (English)
- ↑ Brochure "Ardnamurchan Lighthouse" published by the Northern Lighthouse Board
- ↑ undiscoveredscotland (English)
Web links
- Northern Lighthouse Board (English)
- Ardnamurchan lighthouse (English)