Located on Little Holborn Head, just beyond the outer breakwater of Scrabster Harbour in Caithness, on the west side of Thurso Bay, Holburn (Holborn) Head Lighthouse is unusual, comprising a stumpy white tower on the end of the keeper's cottage. The tower reaches 17m (56 feet) in height and was built in 1861-62 by engineers David and Thomas Stevenson at a cost of £3900, although the Board of Trade is known to have found this cost excessive and to have queried every item on the bill of works.
The lighthouse had a range of 21 miles (33 km), exhibiting a flashing white light in the direction of the Pentland Firth and a red light towards Scrabster and Thurso. It was automated in 1988 but found to be no longer necessary and was permanently withdrawn from service in 2003. The building has been B-listed since 1984.
