Southerness lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Southerness lighthouse is located at the village of Southerness
in South West Scotland. It is at present the second oldest lighthouse in Scotland. The lighthouse was commissioned by the Town Council of Dumfries in 1748 to assist in the safe passage though the Solway Firth
of ships heading to the Nith Estuary
. At that time roads in South West Scotland were quite sparse so the bulk of trade even between local villages, was carried out by sea. Dumfries was a major port and there were regular connections with Liverpool and, especially, Ireland. Construction was completed in 1749.
The lighthouse was raised from its original structure twice, most notably between 1842 and 1844 to a design by Walter Newall
.
The lighthouse was first lit around 1800 and was decommissioned in 1936. The light was extinguished due to financial reasons between 1867 and 1894.
Southerness
Southerness is a small coastal village in the South West of Scotland. Southerness is located approximately south of the A710 between Caulkerbush and Kirkbean. The town today is mainly a tourist village and has for many years had a large number of static caravans, some private and many rented to...
in South West Scotland. It is at present the second oldest lighthouse in Scotland. The lighthouse was commissioned by the Town Council of Dumfries in 1748 to assist in the safe passage though the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
of ships heading to the Nith Estuary
River Nith
The River Nith is a river in South West Scotland.-Source, flow and mouth:The Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, more precisely between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, 7 km East of Dalmellington...
. At that time roads in South West Scotland were quite sparse so the bulk of trade even between local villages, was carried out by sea. Dumfries was a major port and there were regular connections with Liverpool and, especially, Ireland. Construction was completed in 1749.
The lighthouse was raised from its original structure twice, most notably between 1842 and 1844 to a design by Walter Newall
Walter Newall
Walter Newall was a Scottish architect and civil engineer, born at Doubledyke in the parish of New Abbey, near Dumfries in south-west Scotland...
.
The lighthouse was first lit around 1800 and was decommissioned in 1936. The light was extinguished due to financial reasons between 1867 and 1894.