Sumburgh Head Lighthouse

Sumburgh Head Lighthouse from the south, ca 2002 Photo Peter II

The tower

Sumburgh Head Lighthouse, built in 1821, is the oldest lighthouse in Shetland.
The engineer was Robert Stevenson, and the builder was John Reid of Peterhead.
The original beacon had 26 reflectors on the light.
The lighthouse has walls of double thickness to keep out the dampness.

Basic Information :


Name	Sumburgh Head Lighthouse
Position	Latitude 59° 51.3’N Longitude 01° 16.3’W (HU 407078)
Location	On Sumburgh Head, Dunrossness, the south end of the Shetland Mainland
Description	A 56 foot high white tower, with 52 steps to the top
Built by	Robert Stevenson Snr
First lit	1821
Character	Flashing (3) white every 30 seconds
Nominal Range	23 miles
Elevation	299 foot.
Automated	1991
Other information	Foghorn established 1906, discontinued 1987 Before the foghorn was establised, they had a fogbell at the lighthouse. The bell had been presented by the parents of Captain Thomas Leslie of the Royal Victoria, a ship that had been abandoned at sea by her crew, most likely to the NW of Shetland on January 19th 1864. One of the lifeboats eventually came ashore in a geo at Scat Ness later in the month, with two survivors, but also the bodies of the Captain and five crewmembers. The bell is now the church bell in Dunrossness Kirk The former keepers' houses are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust, and in use as self-catering accomodation.

The site is understood to have been that of a much earlier Broch/Fort, the remains of which were removed when a WWII Chain Low Radar Station, one of the earliest in the UK, was constructed. The ruins of the station's concrete buildings still remain on site today.