click on picture to enlarge ©Charles Tait

The Pentland Firth that separates the Scottish mainland from Orkney is one of the most dangerous places to sail in the world. To make it possible for ships to avoid the long route of sailing around the islands of Orkney two lighthouses were built in 1794 on Muckle Skerry. The engineers for the lighthouses were Thomas Smith and Robert Stevenson. One tower was 79 feet tall while the other was 59 feet tall. The shorter of the two now has a fog horn on it. The lighthouse was automated in 1994 and the keepers removed.

Another picture can be found here.

You can find more articles in the archive under Lighthouse Beacons From Scotland