Lighthouses

A Natural History of Lighthouses
by John A. Love

This is the story of lightkeepers’ contributions to the natural history of lighthouses in conjunction with the history and maintenance of the manned navigation beacons – their primary function of course – ‘for the safety of all’. Since keepers were first engaged to main... more...

A Quiet Life
by Martha Robertson

From their inception and through the early years of this century, long before automation, lighthouses were manned by keepers, often with their families in residence. In the case of the Petrie family, in 1922, their number included a new arrival, Martha. Over the years Martha, or Mattie as she was ni... more...

An Illuminating Experience
by Gordon  Medlicott

Throughout the 1960s and '70s, despite having the technology to land men on the moon, some of our lighthouses were still operated by oil, not only for the main navigation light, but also in the keepers' living quarters. With some of the offshore stations lacking even the basic facilities of ... more...

Archie's Lights
The life and Times of a Scottish Lightkeeper
by Anne MacEachern, Archie MacEachern

Born at a clifftop lighthouse in 1910, Archie’s life was spent in the world of Scottish lighthouses – he was one of the third generation of his family in the service of the Northern Lighthouse Board. Archie’s stories have gripped listeners of all ages and have now been compiled ... more...

It Was Fun While It Lasted
by A. J.  Lane

A lively, at times hilarious, first-hand account of a lighthouse keeper's life in the last traditional years before the introduction of helicopter reliefs and automation. Arthur Lane entered the Service in 1953 as a fugitive from the Birmingham branch of a large insurance company, who seem to... more...

Last of the Line
by Patricia Gumbrell

Now that lighthouse automation has been completed, what of the service and dedication to duty that was unfailingly provided by keepers, their associates and their families? Last of the Line is an account of four generations of lightkeepers, the first being John Hall, the author's great-great-... more...

Life and Death on Little Ross
The Story of an Island, a Lighthouse and its Keepers
by David R.  Collin

Little Ross is an attractive and unspoiled island and its lighthouse, beautifully designed by the famous Stevenson family, is officially a 'lesser' light, far away from busy sea lanes, at the summit of this remote island. The island was unknown to most people until 1960 when a murder in t... more...

Light over Lundy
A History of the Old Light and the Fog Signal Station
by Myrtle Ternstrom

Set atop the rocky plateau of Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel, the Old Light stands proudly - a monument to the skill of its builder, Joseph Nelson. It is of a pleasing construction, both solid and graceful, and when built in 1820 it had two lights - an upper and a lower, and was the highest lig... more...

Lost Sounds
by Alan Renton

An intriguing history and one not to be missed. The book visits a number of lighthouses at different times over the last 130 years to reveal the philanthropic, scientific and romantic story of the fog signal - how it came about, how the machinery worked and, for the mariner and the keeper, what it s... more...

No More Paraffin-Oilers
by Ian Cassells

This long-awaited new edition of an established best-selling title brings the story of lighthouses in Scotland up to date now that the task of automation is finished. With many additional photographs, map and a concluding section, this book remains a must for anyone with an interest in lighthouses. ... more...

Postcards from the Edge
Remote British lighthouses in vintage postcards
by Christopher Nicholson

We've been sending one another postcards for well over a century now - usually brief messages to our friends and family telling them about the weather on our holidays or where we're visiting next on our travels. A hundred years ago we sent postcards with more serious messages - important,... more...

Rock Lighthouses of Britain & Ireland
by Christopher Nicholson

Rock Lighthouses of Britain & Ireland is a new edition of the classic work on the subject but with some of the most famous Irish rock lighthouses included. The text has been updated to include the modern technology being used by the lighthouse authorities, as well as all the historical advances ... more...

Scottish Lighthouse Pioneers
Travels with the Stevensons in Orkney and Shetland
by Paul A.  Lynn

In the 19th century, the Stevenson engineers pioneered marvellous lighthouses around the coasts of Scotland – lighthouses which inspire with their architectural elegance, and speak of compassion for sailors and fishermen risking their lives in these notoriously dangerous waters. But what wa... more...

Southern Lights
The Scottish Contribution to New Zealand's Lighthouses
by Guinevere Nalder

Southern Lights recounts the story of how New Zealand's lighthouses were established through the transfer of technology from Scotland to New Zealand over a period of almost 90 years. This resulted in most of New Zealand's lighthouses being fully or partially built using Scottish materials an... more...

The British Lighthouse Trail
A Regional Guide
by Sarah Kerr

Lighthouses have been used as aids to maritime navigation for centuries. They are highly recognisable and beloved features of our coastline and waterways, treasured by communities and captivating visitors. But how many are there and is it really possible to visit them all? The British Lighthouse ... more...

The Irish Lightkeeper's Legacy
Life at the Edge
by Martha Power Baxter

In June of 1837, as a teenaged Queen Victoria assumed the throne, an Irish Catholic peasant laboured from dawn to dusk farming land owned by the Marquess of Ely, a powerful peer of the Queen’s realm. Alexander, Alec, Power, a lowly estate worker, would live and die working these fields for his... more...

The Lighthouse on Skerryvore
by Paul A.  Lynn

Perched on an isolated rock in the Scottish Hebrides, this is a fascinating account of Skerryvore, ‘the most graceful lighthouse in the world’, and the great Victorian engineer who designed and built it. At a height of 48m (156 feet), it is the tallest lighthouse in Scotland. The stor... more...