Ailsa Craig Lighthouse

Ailsa Craig Lighthouse is a white cylindrical stone tower located on a remote island off the Scottish coast, with an attached keeper's residence. The structure features a balcony and lantern room positioned at the top of the approximately 11-meter tower.

The lighthouse was built in 1886 by engineers Thomas Stevenson and David Alan Stevenson using oil-burning lamps for illumination. These lamp systems guided ships for decades until newer technologies gradually replaced them.

The lighthouse takes its name from the rocky island where it stands, and was long home to keepers who shaped daily life on this remote location. The buildings and surroundings reflect an era when people worked and lived in isolation here.

The lighthouse can be viewed from the outside as part of boat or cruise visits to the island, given its remote location away from the mainland. Planning is needed for travel to the site due to tidal currents and weather patterns in the Firth of Clyde.

The station used fire as an emergency signal system where one fire meant medical help was needed and two fires indicated trouble at the island's stone quarry. This method was the main communication line between the island and mainland before radio systems arrived.

Location: South Ayrshire

Inception: 1886

Height: 11 m

Part of: Ailsa Craig, Foreland Point, Lighthouse, Keepers' Cottages And Foghorn

GPS coordinates: 55.25190,-5.10844

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:07