Turnberry Lighthouse

Located on low bluffs on Turnberry Point in South Ayrshire, within the ruins of the former Turnberry Castle (dismantled 1310), Turnberry Lighthouse comprises a whitewashed round tower some 24m (79 feet) in height. The lighthouse warns of dangerous rocks offshore, which had previously wrecked numerous ships, and exhibits a flashing white light with a range of 24 miles (39 km).

The Board of Trade agreed the need for a light in 1869 and the work passed into the capable hands of the noted lighthouse engineers David and Thomas Stevenson. However, delays ensued due to conflicting opinions on the size of the lantern and type of oil which should be used as the illuminant. It was completed in 1873 at a cost of £6576. The lantern is of the typical domed form with triangular glazing. Small rectangular windows pierce the tower in a spiral following the 76-step staircase. The lighthouse and associated keepers' cottages are now B-listed.

Turnberry Lighthouse was automated in 1986 and is now remotely monitored from the Northern Lighthouse Board Headquarters. In 2016, the keepers' cottages were refurbished to a high standard as part of the Trump Turnberry Resort and now provide a spectacularly-situated watering hole for golfers.


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