Killantringan Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Killantringan Lighthouse is a lighthouse
located near Portpatrick
in Dumfries and Galloway
, south-west Scotland
. The light came into operation in 1900, and served as a waypoint in the North Channel
of the Irish Sea
. The name Killantringan is derived from Ringan, or Ninian's Cill of Cell. The lighthouse is protected as a category B listed building.
to build the lighthouse was granted in 1897. It was constructed by David Alan Stevenson
. The engineer's report specified a powerful fog signal was also required at the site. The lighthouse entered service on 1st October 1900. The light gave a flashing signal of two flashes in quick succession every ½ minute. When used, the fog signal was 3 blasts: low, low, high in quick succession every 1½ minutes.
The light was automated in 1988, with the fog signal having been discontinued the previous year. Following a comprehensive review of services by the UK's three General Lighthouse Authorities in 2005, it was decided that Killantringan was surplus to requirements - serving primarily as a waypoint - and the light was permanently discontinued in January 2007, with the light and lenses being removed and donated abroad.
Today the light keepers' house and a small adjacent property are let as self catering holiday accommodation by the current owners.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located near Portpatrick
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the...
in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, south-west Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The light came into operation in 1900, and served as a waypoint in the North Channel
North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)
The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland...
of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. The name Killantringan is derived from Ringan, or Ninian's Cill of Cell. The lighthouse is protected as a category B listed building.
History
Sanction for the Northern Lighthouse BoardNorthern Lighthouse Board
The Northern Lighthouse Board is the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for marine navigation aids around coastal areas.-History:...
to build the lighthouse was granted in 1897. It was constructed by David Alan Stevenson
David Alan Stevenson
David Alan Stevenson was a lighthouse engineer who built twenty six lighthouses in and around Scotland.Born into the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers, son of David Stevenson, brother of Charles Stevenson, and nephew of Thomas Stevenson, he was educated at Edinburgh University...
. The engineer's report specified a powerful fog signal was also required at the site. The lighthouse entered service on 1st October 1900. The light gave a flashing signal of two flashes in quick succession every ½ minute. When used, the fog signal was 3 blasts: low, low, high in quick succession every 1½ minutes.
The light was automated in 1988, with the fog signal having been discontinued the previous year. Following a comprehensive review of services by the UK's three General Lighthouse Authorities in 2005, it was decided that Killantringan was surplus to requirements - serving primarily as a waypoint - and the light was permanently discontinued in January 2007, with the light and lenses being removed and donated abroad.
Today the light keepers' house and a small adjacent property are let as self catering holiday accommodation by the current owners.