Pentland Skerries High Light

Pentland Skerries High Light is a lighthouse on Muckle Skerry, the largest of the Pentland Skerries, a cluster of rocky islets in the Pentland Firth between Orkney and Scotland's north coast. It was the first commission Robert Stevenson received from the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Where is it and why is it here?

Muckle Skerry sits at the eastern entrance to the Pentland Firth, a strait notorious for fierce tidal streams and difficult navigation. The reefs around the skerries claimed many vessels, which is why a warning light was built here. The island is uninhabited, and the tower dominates its skyline.

How was the lighthouse built?

The first light was lit in 1794 to a design by Thomas Smith and Robert Stevenson, who went on to found Scotland's best-known dynasty of lighthouse engineers. The station had two towers, a higher and a lower one, so mariners could tell it apart from other lights along the coast.

The station was rebuilt in the 1820s, though sources give completion dates ranging from 1830 to 1833. The taller of the original stone towers was kept for the new light. Today it is painted white, stands about 36 m (118 ft) tall, and the lamp sits roughly 52 m above sea level.

How has the technology changed?

• 1870: paraffin lamps tested,
• 1895: the double light replaced by group-flashing lights,
• 1958: electrification,
• 1972: supplies and crew reliefs switched from boats to helicopters,
• 1994: automation; since 31 March the light has run unmanned, monitored from the NLB headquarters in Edinburgh.

It now runs on solar power.

What events are linked to the station?

In 1884 the keepers rescued twelve crew from the Leith ship Vicksburg. In 1941 the station came under enemy fire during the Second World War, with little damage. In 1965 two keepers helped 50 people from a ship aground in fog. Keepers' families lived on the island until the 1950s.

Can you visit?

The light is automatic and is not a conventional visitor attraction; the island has no permanent staff or visitor facilities. It is best seen from the water or appreciated as a piece of history on a trip through Orkney and the Pentland Firth. The site is recorded in the Canmore database, and John S. Findlay's book A Photographic Portrait of Pentland Skerries (The Orcadian, 2018) covers its story.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the lighthouse? Thomas Smith and Robert Stevenson. It was Stevenson's first project for the Northern Lighthouse Board.

When was the first light lit? In 1794.

Do keepers still live there? No. The light has been fully automatic since 1994 and is monitored remotely from Edinburgh.

Where exactly is it? On Muckle Skerry in the Pentland Skerries, in the Pentland Firth off Orkney, Scotland.