Cantick Head

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Candick, a headland in Walls parish, Orkney, at the SE extremity of Hay island. It projects eastward from the south-eastern part of the peninsula of Hoy; flanks the N side of the middle part of the Pentland Firth; and terminates 3 miles S of the south-western extremity of Flota, 5 miles W by N of the S flank of Sandwick Bay in South Ronaldshay, 5 N by E of the northern extremity of Stroma, 8¾ NW of the Pentland Skerries, and 12 NE by E of Dunnet Head. A lighthouse is on it; was built in 1858 at a cost of £5661; and shows a white light, revolving once a minute, and visible at the distance of 15 nautical miles. On Ruff Reef, off the lighthouse, a red beacon 34 feet above high water was erected in 1881.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer