Discover the rugged beauty and rich history of the Scottish coastline with these 15 stunning lighthouses in Scotland, each offering unique stories, breathtaking views, and a glimpse into the maritime heritage that has guided sailors for centuries.
Coming up: coastal towns, Robert Stevenson, the North Sea, some of the UK’s best viewpoints, lots of yellow paint, the most westerly point of Skye, and the 15 best lighthouses in Scotland.
As you probably know, Scotland is part of an island.
And islands… as you *also* probably know… have big coastlines (Scotland’s has a total length of 11,602 miles/18,672 km*, and includes almost 800 islands).
*The mainland part measures in at 6,160 miles (9,910 km).
Anyway, with a big shoreline comes lots of lighthouses—and Scotland is home to over 200 of the illuminated icons.
So, today, Travelness are taking you to the 15 best lighthouses in Scotland. Bring some binoculars and come join the party!
2. Neist Point Lighthouse
One of the most famous sights on the Isle of Skye, this lighthouse sits at the end of a lumpy, marshy, hikers-dream headland. You can’t reach the lighthouse without a walk: so park at the car park, and wander 1 mile (1.6km) one-way, along the paved path.
It’s an easy walk, but it’s a super-scenic one. And it’s one of the prettiest places on the island.
Again, you can’t get inside Neist Point Lighthouse… but (depending on the season), you can spot lots of wildlife here—including whales, basking sharks, dolphins, and porpoises.
For more on the Isle of Skye, stroll on over to our guides on:
4. Mull of Galloway Lighthouse
Located on the most southerly point of Scotland, Mull of Galloway Lighthouse actually sits more south than some parts of England (including my hometown of Newcastle*).
Mull of Galloway Lighthouse is one of the most action-packed lighthouses on our list. Here, you can:
*make sure you get a lemon meringue pie!
So, of course, this is one of the best lighthouses in Scotland if you’re traveling with kids!
Like many of the other lighthouses on our list, this one was built by Robert Stevenson.
For more on Newcastle (I’ve written plenty of guides about the place cos I love banging on about how proud I am of the city), here are:
5. Sumburgh Head Lighthouse
Sitting on the very southern tip of (the main part of) the Shetland Islands, Sumburgh Head Lighthouse has the same yellow-and-white color scheme many Scottish lighthouses seem to love.
Home to a visitor center and a nature reserve (and the lighthouse, obviously)…
… Sumburgh Head features exhibits on machinery, local wildlife, the lighthouse itself, and the unique geography of the Shetland Islands. Expect videos, photos, and some interactive stuff.
Again, it’s another good option if you’re looking for family fun.
It was built by Robert Stevenson (again!), and construction was completed in 1821.
6. Dunnet Head Lighthouse
Probably the most well-known of all the Scottish lighthouses, Dunnet Head Lighthouse sits at the most northern point of mainland Scotland*.
*yep, that’s right: no matter what most people seem to think, the close-to-Dunnet-Head town of John O’Groat’s isn’t actually the most northerly point of mainland Scotland.
Anyway, Dunnet Head was built by Robert Stevenson, it’s home to many seals (you might see them, you might hear them), and it sits at the top of some vertigo-induco massive cliffs.
There are self-catering cottages beside the lighthouse (this is where the lighthouse keepers used to live), and the entire area is an official RSPB site (you might see puffins, razorbills, and guillemots).
7. Buchan Ness Lighthouse
Another close-to-Aberdeen lighthouse, and another red-and-white-stripey boy, Buchan Ness Lighthouse sits in the coastal village of Boddam.
It was built by Robert Stevenson (yeah, I’m getting tired of this guy too), and construction began in 1827. Again, there are on-site holiday cottages here. And, again, you can only go inside the buildings if you’re overnighting in them.
8. Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
Sitting at the very northern tip of the island of Lewis, Butt of Lewis Lighthouse has an unusual brown-brick design, along with lots more white and yellow.
Sat on a bunch of lumpy cliffs, it’s a super-scenic spot. You can’t enter the lighthouse, and there’s not much to do here—but if you like rural, quiet places, you’ll love it.
9. Rattray Head Lighthouse
Here’s an unusual entry for you.
Rattray Head Lighthouse sits inside the sea, off the mainland shore.
Sitting halfway between Peterhead and Fraserburgh, it’s one of the eastern coastline’s most famous landmarks. Most people don’t walk to the lighthouse (it’s only accessible during low tide when the causeway isn’t covered by water—and you can’t actually get inside the lighthouse anyway)… but you get great views from Rattray Head Beach.
10. St. Abb’s Head Lighthouse
Another southern-Scotland entry, St. Abb’s Head Lighthouse is one of my favorites.
Again, you can’t go inside the little yellow-and-white buildings here (unless you overnight in some of the on-site accommodations)…
… but there’s plenty to do in the area.
Highlights include lumpy cliffs, coastal walks (the Berwickshire Coastal Path runs right through the area), a huge number of birds (during summer, over 60,000(!) birds nest here), and maybe even seals and dolphins.
If you think southern Scotland can’t be as pretty as the Highlands, this place will prove you wrong (well, almost).
And, because it sits just north of the famous coastal town of Eyemouth, St. Abb’s Head is another good choice for family fun.
Eyemouth is a great place for a kid-friendly coastal vacation: it features beaches, arcades, boat trips, endless ice cream and fish and chips, and loads of day trips.
11. Cromarty Lighthouse
Named after the town it sits in, Cromarty Lighthouse is another white-and-yellow design, and another lighthouse you can’t actually enter.
But good news: it’s much more accessible than most lighthouses we’ve brought you (it sits right inside the town).
Also much smaller than most of the lighthouses we’ve brought you, it has a little height of only 13 meters (42 feet). It was built in 1846, and decommissioned in 2006.
So there’s not much action at the lighthouse… but there’s a decent amount of action elsewhere in Cromarty. You can:
- Head to the quiet shores of Cromarty Beach
- Wander around little old-school Cromarty Harbour
- Head to small shack-like Slaughterhouse Coffee, for seaside views and passing boats
- Explore the unusual Cromarty Courthouse Museum (with info on prisoners, boats, fishing, religion, medieval times, and more)
… and (best of all in my opinion) you can take a 10-minute ferry ride to the even-smaller settlement of Nigg.
A super-scenic route, I highly recommend it.
12. Chanonry Point Lighthouse
A famous spot for dolphin-watching, Chanonry Point Lighthouse (also known as just ‘Chanonry Lighthouse’), also sits close to Inverness.
Perched on the Moray Firth (that’s where the North Sea enters Scotland and begins becoming a river), Chanonry Point Lighthouse was first used in 1846.
Again, it’s not possible to head inside the lighthouse — but it’s surrounded by some information boards, where you can read about the area, the lighthouse, and all the wildlife.
When most people head here, it’s specifically to see the dolphins. And this is arguably THE BEST place in Scotland for doing it.
Though the dolphins are visible year-round, most people claim the best time to see them is summer—but no matter which time of year you visit, get yourself to the viewpoint around 1 hour after low tide (when the tide is beginning to come in).
This tidal time is when the dolphins swim into the area to feast on fish. You’ll be surprised by how close they get—you’ll usually only be a few meters from the guys.
13. Barns Ness Lighthouse
Barns Ness Lighthouse is an ideal option if you’re looking for a lighthouse near Edinburgh—it sits only a 40-minute drive east of the city.
Again, you can’t head inside unless you stay in the accommodation (the lighthouse was sold to a private owner in 2006).
That said, Barns Ness Lighthouse has parking, a picnic area, and nearby beaches. And it’s possible to hike here from Dunbar.
For more adventures in and around Scotland’s capital, check out our guides on:
14. Bell Rock Lighthouse
This was Robert Stevenson’s biggest professional achievement.*
*yep, the guy who built lots of the lighthouses we’ve brought you—he was most proud of building this particular lighthouse*
Notorious for being one of the planet’s most difficult-to-design lighthouses, this sits 11 miles (18 km) east of the mainland (close to Arbroath, Dundee, and St Andrews).
It was built between 1807 and 1810 and is one of the world’s oldest surviving in-the-sea lighthouses. And at the time of building, it was the planet’s tallest off-shore lighthouse.
As you probably guessed from its name, Bell Rock Lighthouse is built on a rock…
… for years, people wanted to build a lighthouse here: the rock the lighthouse was eventually built on, it typically sat under the surface of the sea. So, because ship navigators couldn’t see this rock, it was responsible for several shipwrecks per year.
To build the thing, the workers had to live on-site. Construction involved deaths, a very strong horse, and an amputated finger. Genuinely the most interesting lighthouse in Scotland—here’s more about the history.
15. Bass Rock Lighthouse
The strangest of all the buildings we’ve brought you.
Bass Rock Lighthouse sits on a big round rocky lump, around 3 miles (5km) off the east coast of Scotland. And because of the shape of the rock, the lighthouse almost looks like it’s built into the thing.
If you want to visit, the only way (or at least the only way I know of!) is by taking a boat trip from the Scottish Seabird Centre. On these trips, you’re accompanied by a guide, who tells you about the lighthouse, the island, and its wildlife—this rock is home to the planet’s biggest colony of northern gannets*.
*Northern gannets are the biggest seabirds in the North Atlantic. They have an average wingspan of around 1.7 meters (5.7 feet), and around 150,000 of the guys live on the rock in summer. Here’s more.
Fun Facts about Lighthouses in Scotland
- If you really just can’t get enough of illuminated towers, get yourself to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. Sitting north of Aberdeen (in the little coastal town of Fraserburgh), it’s located inside mainland Scotland’s first still-surviving lighthouse (Kinnaird Head Lighthouse). In it, you’ll find old equipment, maritime history, family-friendly fun, a nice cafe, and much more information on Bell Rock Lighthouse.
- These days, all Scottish lighthouses are automated. Though they all became automated at different times, the last ever automation occurred in 1998. This was at Fair Isle South Lighthouse, which sits on the southernmost Shetland island. Located 23.5 miles (38km) off the Shetland mainland, it’s the most remote inhabited island in the UK.
- In 1900, one of Scotland’s strangest mysteries occurred at the remote Flannan Isles Lighthouse, when the lighthouse’s three keepers completely disappeared. A ship reached the lighthouse (located west of Isle and Harris), and found a stopped clock, an uneaten meal, and a canary in a cage. The three men were never found. Here’s more.
- The tallest of Scotland’s lighthouses is Skerryvore Lighthouse, which measures in at a massive 48 meters (156 feet). It sits on the Isle of Tiree, a small island west of the Isle of Mull.
- The most isolated lighthouse in Scotland is Sule Skerry. It sits around 35 miles (56 km) north of the Scottish mainland, and 40 miles (65 km) west of the Orkney mainland. Basically, it’s right in the middle of nowhere.
- The most northerly lighthouse in Scotland is Muckle Flugga, in the north of Shetland. Rocky, dramatic, and super scenic, it sits around 200 miles (320 km) from the Scottish mainland.
- For way more facts about Scottish lighthouses, head to the official Northern Lighthouse Board website.
Before You Go
Okay you, that’s us finished—they’re the 15 top lighthouses in Scotland!
To sum up, my must-visit Scottish lighthouses are:
- Neist Point Lighthouse: sitting on the most westerly point of the Isle of Skye, it’s outrageously pretty—and surprisingly easy to access.
- Mull of Galloway Lighthouse: which sits at the most southerly point of Scotland, and has loads of family-friendly stuff to do.
- St. Abb’s Head Lighthouse, if you want to combine lighthouse-seeing with world-class cycling.
- … and Bass Rock Lighthouse: to meet more than 100,000 birds on a boat trip.
For more on adventuring around the sands and seas of Scotland:
Thanks for reading, thanks for choosing Travelness, and thanks in advance for coming back again one day in the future. Enjoy lighthouse-ing around Scotland!
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