Lighthouse Beacons from Scotland
Girdle Ness
Photo of Girdle Ness © Annette Flotwell
Girdle Ness Lighthouse is located on the south entrance of Aberdeen harbour. It is a beautiful sight if you fly into Aberdeen airport.
The shipmaster of Aberdeen requested that a light be established at Girdle Ness, Aberdeen following the wrecking of a whaling ship there in 1813. There were only 2 survivors from a crew of 45. The light had a new form of double light, showing 2 distinct lights from the same tower, one above the other, both fixed. The lower light consisted of 13 lamps and reflectors arranged like a garland in a glazed gallery built round the outside of the tower about one third of the way up. In 1890 the lower light was discontinued.
In 1860 Girdle Ness was visited by the Astronomer Royal, Professor George Airy, (later Sir George) who described it as "the best lighthouse that I have seen".
Robert Stevenson engineered the construction which was completed in 1833. The facility was automated in 1991. During the day its main characteristic is its strange shape wih the bump in the middle of a tall tower. At night, its light characteristic is 2 white flashes every 20 seconds with a range of 22 nautical miles.
The graphic of Girdleness on the right is © Aaron Sneddon via Wikimedia Commons
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