Muckle Flugga Lighthouse
| Muckle Flugga Lighthouse | ||
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| Place: | Muckle Flugga | |
| Location: | Shetland , Scotland , United Kingdom | |
| Geographical location: | 60 ° 51 '19.5 " N , 0 ° 53' 7.4" W | |
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| Construction time: | 1854-1858 | |
| Operating time: | since 1858 | |
The Muckle Flugga Lighthouse , formerly North Unst Lighthouse , German Muckle Flugga lighthouse , is a lighthouse on the Scottish Shetland island of Muckle Flugga . In 1971 the lighthouse was listed in the Scottish List of Monuments in the highest category A. It is the northernmost lighthouse in Scotland. The lighthouse keepers made Muckle Flugga the northernmost populated point in Great Britain.
The beacon is at a height of 66 m above sea level, resulting in a range of 22 nautical miles (around 40 km). The tower's identifier is two white flashes every 20 seconds.
history
Since 1851 there were plans to build a lighthouse in the area. However, no agreement was initially reached regarding the exact location. With the outbreak of the Crimean War , a lighthouse to protect naval ships became militarily important. For this reason, a provisional beacon was erected within 26 days and started operating on October 11, 1854. The approximately 15 m high construction was designed for the heavy Atlantic storms and heavy rains. The occurrence of strong surf during storms, however, was not planned and the lighthouse keepers reported water ingress into the interior. This made the construction of a full-fledged lighthouse necessary.
After further discussions regarding the location, a decision was made again in favor of Muckle Flugga and construction work began in June 1855. The well-known lighthouse architects Thomas and David Stevenson were responsible for the planning as engineers . The foundation of the approximately 20 m high brick tower extends approximately 3.5 m into the rock. The total construction cost was £ 32,000. On January 1, 1858, the lighthouse was put into operation under the name "North Unst Lighthouse". During the Second World War , the former radio station on Muckle Flugga was needed again. It was the task of the lighthouse keeper who regularly stayed ashore to send messages to the station on Muckle Flugga for forwarding.
In 1964 the lighthouse was given the name "Muckle Flugga", which it still bears today. From 1968 to 1969, new living areas for the crew were set up inside the tower. The space required for this was gained by electrifying the beacon. The crew included six lighthouse keepers, three of whom monitored the facility at all times, while the remaining three stayed on land. They were later provided with food by helicopter every two weeks, which made the connection by boat less important. In 1995, the Muckle Flugga lighthouse was fully automated, causing the island to lose its status as the northernmost permanently populated place in Great Britain.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ a b c d e Information from the Northern Lighthouse Board
Web links
- Entry on Muckle Flugga Lighthouse in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database