Fife Ness facts for kids
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| Fife Ness Light, August 2008 | |
| Location | Fife Ness Crail Fife Scotland United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 56°16′44″N 2°35′09″W / 56.278834°N 2.585789°W |
| Year first constructed | 1975 |
| Construction | concrete building |
| Tower shape | lantern attached to 1-storey building |
| Markings / pattern | white building |
| Height | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| Focal height | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Range | white: 21 nautical miles (39 km; 24 mi) red: 20 nautical miles (37 km; 23 mi) |
| Characteristic | Iso WR 10s. |
| Admiralty number | A3102 |
| NGA number | 2612 |
| ARLHS number | SCO-081 |
Fife Ness (which means "Headland of Fife" in Scottish Gaelic) is a special piece of land that sticks out into the sea. It's the most eastern point in Fife, Scotland. Long ago, people called this area Muck Ross, which came from a Scottish Gaelic phrase meaning "Headland of the Pigs."
Fife Ness is part of an area in Fife called the East Neuk. If you look at a map, the shape of the East Neuk looks a bit like a dog, and Fife Ness forms the "muzzle" or nose of that dog shape. The word Ness itself is an old Norse word that also means "nose."
The Important Lighthouse at Fife Ness
Fife Ness is home to an important Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1975 to help guide ships safely past the headland and the dangerous North Carr shoals (underwater sandbanks or rocks).
Why Was the Lighthouse Built?
Before this lighthouse was built, there were special ships called lightvessels that floated near the treacherous rocks to warn other ships. It was too difficult to build a permanent lighthouse directly on the rocks themselves. So, the lighthouse at Fife Ness was built on the land to replace those lightvessels and keep sailors safe.
Other Uses of Fife Ness
Until 2012, Fife Ness also had a Her Majesty's Coastguard station. Coastguards are people who help keep watch over the coast and help ships or people in trouble at sea.
The land around Fife Ness is also known for its golf courses. It is surrounded by the links terrain of Crail Golfing Society, where people can play golf right by the sea.
