Mull of Galloway Lighthouse, Scotland

When visiting the United Kingdom, my husband and I rented a car to see lighthouses in Scotland. Like in the United States, these lighthouses are governed by different entities, so access is varied.

The light apparatus of those that are still active aids to navigation are managed by the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The lighthouses we visited were all beautiful with similar appearances, white with gold trim, and a white stucco wall around the property, so it can be difficult to tell them apart by pictures. However, each one had other characteristics which distinguished them from the others.

We visited Corsewall Lighthouse which is now a hotel with restaurant. We then went to  Killantringan Lighthouse which is privately owned and not an active aid to navigation, so we could only walk around the outside of the property. We also visited Turnberry Lighthouse, which sits by the ninth hole of the Turnberry Golf Club. This lighthouse has a few suites for rent and a small snack bar (mostly for golfers). A fascinating fact about this lighthouse is that it is built beside the ruins of Robert the Bruce’s castle, some of the stone walls still visible.

 

The last lighthouse we went to was the Mull of Galloway. Although three of the four lighthouses are still active aids to navigation, only the Mull of Galloway allowed people to climb the tower. For that accomplishment, we were awarded a certificate!

Owned by the local community, the Mull of Galloway lighthouse is the most tourist-friendly lighthouse we visited. The lighthouse building had a museum with a docent, as well as a very knowledgeable docent at the top of the tower. In addition, the Gallie Craig Coffee House and gift shop is a short distance down the hill from the lighthouse.

 

 

View of the Isle of Man from the lighthouse

The Mull of Galloway, built by engineer Robert Stevenson (grandfather of author Robert Louis Stevenson) in 1830, is the southernmost lighthouse in Scotland. Mull means top or highest point, making its setting on a cliff overlooking the Irish Sea absolutely breathtaking. After climbing 115 steps, you can easily stand in the large lantern room which originally housed a huge lighting apparatus but now uses smaller and more updated optic lights. From the lantern room and the balcony outside, you can see the Isle of Man and also Ireland, some forty miles away.

Where am I ?

 

 

Adding to the beauty of the setting is the natural wildlife reserve which is home to a large variety of seabirds protected by the RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Yes, the lighthouses all looked alike, but the ambience is quite different from one to the other. What makes one stand out is not only its accessibility, but also the hospitality extended to visitors. By that measurement, the Mull of Galloway lighthouse stands much higher than the others (pun intended), in the way its people shine their light to others.

 

 

 

“In the same way, let your light shine before others” Matthew 5:16