Eilean Glas Lighthouse

Coordinates: 57°51′25″N 6°38′31″W / 57.856916°N 6.642069°W

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Eilean Glas Lighthouse
Tower
Eilean Glas lighthouse

Location	Scalpay Lewis and Harris Outer Hebrides Scotland^[1]
OS grid	NG2474894722
Coordinates	57°51′25″N 6°38′31″W / 57.856916°N 6.642069°W / 57.856916; -6.642069
Constructed	1789 (first)
Designed by	Thomas Smith
Construction	masonry tower (current) stone tower (first)
Automated	1978
Height	30 metres (98 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	tower with red and white bands, black lantern
Operator	Northern Lighthouse Board^[2]^[3]
Heritage	category A listed building

Light
First lit	1824 (current by Robert Stevenson)
Deactivated	1824 (first)
Focal height	43 metres (141 ft)
Lens	catoptric sealed beam lamps
Intensity	400,000 candela
Range	23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi)
Characteristic	Fl (3) W 20s.

Eilean Glas Lighthouse is on the east coast of the island of Scalpay in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It was one of the original four lights commissioned by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights, and the first in the Hebrides^[1] (the others were Kinnaird Head, Mull of Kintyre and North Ronaldsay). These lighthouses were built by Thomas Smith.^[1]

Eilean Glas light was first displayed in 1789. The original tower was replaced in 1824 by Smith's stepson Robert Stevenson. In 1852 the light was changed to a revolving system lens. The lighthouse was an early candidate for automation and this was carried out in 1978. Several of the original buildings have been sold off.^[1] The fog signal was discontinued in the 1980s although the horn remains in place as a decoration.

The 30-metre (98 ft) tower is painted with two distinctive broad red bands. Light is now from catoptric sealed beam lamps, (similar to car head lights) mounted on a gearless pedestal.^[1]

In 2004, the owners of the lighthouse building were convicted of theft and of running a fraudulent charity to pay for the mortgage on the property.^[4] Their 3-year sentence was later reduced to 2 years at the Court of Appeal.^[5]

The lighthouse is owned and operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board, and the site's other buildings are owned by North Harris Trust and Eilean Glas Trust.^[6] The site is a Category A listed building.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Eilean Glas Lighthouse". Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Scotland: Western Isles". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
^ Eilean Glas Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 18 May 2016
^ "Couple jailed for lighthouse scam". BBC News. 30 April 2004. Archived from the original on 2 May 2004. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
^ "Lighthouse fraud battle continues". BBC News. 23 September 2006. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
^ Urpeth, Peter (23 January 2019). "Scalpay's Eilean Glas lighthouse could be set for a makeover". Stornoway Gazette.
^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Scalpay, Eilean Glas Lighthouse, Old Lighthouse (LB13487)". Retrieved 20 August 2020.

External links

Northern Lighthouse Board

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eilean Glas Lighthouse.

v t e Lighthouses of the Northern Lighthouse Board
Scotland (except principal island groups)	Ailsa Craig Ardnamurchan Bass Rock Bell Rock Buchan Ness Cape Wrath Chanonry Corran Point Corsewall Covesea Skerries Crammag Head Davaar Duncansby Head Dunnet Head Fidra Fife Ness Girdle Ness Holy Island (Outer) Inchkeith Isle of May Kinnaird Head Mull of Galloway Mull of Kintyre North Rona Noss Head Pladda Rattray Head Rubh Re St Abbs Head Sanda Scurdie Ness Stoer Head Strathy Point Stroma Sule Skerry Tarbat Ness Turnberry Minor lights
The Hebrides	Barra Head Butt of Lewis Dubh Artach Eilean Glas Flannan Islands Haskeir Hyskeir Lismore Monach Neist Point Ornsay Rinns of Islay Rubha nan Gall Rona Lighthouse Ruvaal Scarinish Skerryvore Tiumpan Head Ushenish Minor lights
Orkney	Auskerry Brough of Birsay Cantick Head Copinsay Hoy Sound (High) Hoy Sound (Low) North Ronaldsay Noup Head Pentland Skerries Start Point Tor Ness Minor lights
Shetland	Bressay Eshaness Fair Isle North Fair Isle South Firths Voe Foula Hoo Stack Little Holm Muckle Flugga Out Skerries Point of Fethaland Sumburgh Head Ve Skerries Minor lights
Isle of Man	Chicken Rock Douglas Head Langness (minor light) Maughold Head Point of Ayre Thousla Rock (minor light)

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