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All the United Kingdom Scotland Isle of May Isle of May Beacon

Isle of May Beacon

This short white tower is all that's left of Scotland's first permanently manned lighthouse.

Isle of May, Scotland

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Alan Newman
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Isle of May Beacon   alljengi / CC BY-SA 2.0
Isle of May Beacon   alljengi / CC BY-SA 2.0
Isle of May   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Al three of May’s lighthouses.   Jerzy Morkis
The remains of the beacon.   Anne Burgess
The remains of the beacon.   James Allan
Stephenson lighthouse on the left with beacon to the right.   James Allan
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On the Isle of May, an island about five miles from the north shore of the Firth of Forth, is all that’s left of the first permanently manned lighthouse in Scotland. Looking at it now, it's hard to believe the squat white structure was important enough to require three keepers at all times.

The lighthouse was built in 1635 and was three floors high and burned 400 tons of coal each year. A coal brazier on its roof provided the light that illuminated the water. The beacon was privately owned, and its owners charged a fee to the ships who made use of the light.

The small stretch of sea was notorious for shipwrecks. Though a bright, shiny new lighthouse was built to prevent further maritime catastrophes, the locals weren’t in favor of the beacon, as many supplemented their incomes by scavenging for shipwrecked material washed ashore.

The community's original ill-will wasn't the only trouble associated with the beacon. In 1791, the lighthouse was the site of a tragic accident. One of the lighthouse keepers and his family were said to have suffocated from fumes emitted by the cinders which had built up from the coal-fired brazier. (It’s more likely it was carbon monoxide poisoning.) The keeper, his wife, and four of their five children died. Only the three-year-old daughter was found alive, three days later.

In 1816, the lighthouse was replaced by a newer one built by famous engineer Robert Stephenson. This was supplemented by another one, at a lower level, in 1844. At some time after the original lighthouse went out of use, the top two floors were removed and a new roof was tacked on top of the remaining level. A major restoration project was completed in 2017 to conserve what is left of this historic building.

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Islands Lighthouses Ruins Nature Preserves Towers

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The whole of the island is now a national nature reserve and is famous for its abundant bird life. The only way for members of the public to get to the island is on a ferry. One runs from the harbor at Anstruther. It operates from April 1 to September 30. Others are available from nearby Crail and also from North Berwick on the South bank of the Firth of Forth.

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Added By

Dr Alan P Newman

Edited By

Jaszmina Szendrey, Michelle Cassidy

  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 4, 2018

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Isle of May Beacon
Isle of May, Scotland, KY10 3AX
United Kingdom
56.187177, -2.557324
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Nearby Places

Anstruther Model Solar System

Anstruther, Scotland

miles away

Crail Airfield

Crail, Scotland

miles away

North Carr Stone Beacon

Crail, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

Nearby Places

Anstruther Model Solar System

Anstruther, Scotland

miles away

Crail Airfield

Crail, Scotland

miles away

North Carr Stone Beacon

Crail, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

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