A Stevenson lighthouse still sends a working signal from the rocky entrance to Montrose harbour.
Quick facts
- Date
- Built and first lit in 1870; automated in 1987
- Architect / designer
- David and Thomas Stevenson
- Type
- Whitewashed circular masonry lighthouse tower with iron balcony, lantern and domed cap
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB4958)
- OS grid reference
- NO 73322 56758
Architecture and continuing use
The tall circular white tower tapers upward to an iron balcony and domed lantern. Its spare vertical form is both an engineering solution and a conspicuous daymark on the exposed coast.
Its story
Ferryden’s seafaring community petitioned for a light after repeated wrecks. David and Thomas Stevenson completed the tower in 1870; it was automated in 1987 and continues with a three-flash white signal.
Why it is included
The lighthouse links local maritime pressure, the Stevenson engineering dynasty and a continuing national safety function in one legible coastal structure.
What to notice
- The gradual taper of the circular tower.
- Iron balcony and compact domed lantern.
- Its relationship to the harbour entrance and dangerous rock-bound coast.
Reading the surroundings
The Northern Lighthouse Board states that there is no public access to the tower. Reach surrounding public paths with care, respect operational boundaries and coastal weather, and do not enter private lighthouse buildings.
Timeline
- Built and first lit in 1870 Ferryden’s seafaring community petitioned for a light after repeated wrecks.
- Present Operational automated Northern Lighthouse Board navigational light.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The official source gives a present range of 20 nautical miles while older descriptions can differ; this record follows the reviewed NLB data.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Scurdie Ness Lighthouse, LB4958 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural interest.
- Northern Lighthouse Board: Scurdie Ness — Current operational character and range, construction history, engineers, automation, coordinates and no-public-access status.
Location
OS grid reference NO 73322 56758 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies a mapped National Grid Reference and a current official operator, responsible public body or institutional source confirms the Place relationship and present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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