Barns Ness Lighthouse

Barns Ness Lighthouse stands on a flat, rocky headland on the East Lothian coast, a few kilometres south-east of Dunbar and close to the village of Innerwick. Its white tower is one of the most recognisable landmarks on this stretch of the North Sea shore.

What is Barns Ness Lighthouse?

The tower went up between 1899 and 1901, designed by the engineering brothers David Alan and Charles Alexander Stevenson, cousins of the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson and part of Scotland's great lighthouse-building dynasty. Construction took about two and a half years, using stone from the quarries at Craigree and Barnton. A date of 1901 is carved above the door.

The tower is round in section and tapers gently, topped by a circular lantern with triangular panes and a domed roof. Single-storey keepers' cottages sit alongside, with their stone corners left exposed. The light was switched off in October 2005 and the complex is now privately owned. It is a Category B listed building (listed in 1986), the listing covering the tower, cottages and retaining walls.

How do you get to the lighthouse?

The classic approach is a coastal walk from the White Sands car park south of Dunbar. Skateraw is about 5 miles along the route (2 to 3 hours), and the round trip to the lighthouse is roughly 8 miles on almost level ground. Check whether access to the grounds is permitted before you go in, as the site is private; the tower is easy to admire from the track and the shore.

What else is there to see nearby?

• Lime kilns. Eighteenth-century kilns line the route. The one at Skateraw was restored in 1979, and lime was once shipped from its small harbour.
• Geology. The rocky shore has some of the best limestone exposures in east-central Scotland, and fossils can be found in loose material.
• Birdlife. The headland draws migrating birds, so bring binoculars in spring and autumn.
• Beaches. Further on towards Thorntonloch there are more sandy bays.

When should you visit?

Spring and summer, on days without a strong onshore wind, are the most comfortable. Toilets are open all year at White Sands and Thorntonloch, and from May to September at Skateraw.

Frequently asked questions

Can you climb the tower? No. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 2005 and belongs to a private owner, so it is a view-from-outside stop.

Who designed it? David A. Stevenson and Charles A. Stevenson, who built it in 1899–1901.

How long is the walk? White Sands to Skateraw, passing the lighthouse, takes 2 to 3 hours one way.

Are there toilets nearby? Yes: year-round at White Sands and Thorntonloch, May to September at Skateraw.