Kinnaird Head Lighthouses facts for kids
Kinnaird Head is a special place in Fraserburgh, Scotland. It's home to two lighthouses. One is very old and built inside a castle. The other is a newer lighthouse, built in 1991.
The old lighthouse is now part of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. This museum has many cool things. You can see old equipment used to make the lighthouse light shine. There are also tools for helping ships find their way. The museum even has items that belonged to the lighthouse keepers. These include their uniforms and tiny model ships they made. The museum also keeps old papers and photos. These show how the lighthouse was run by the Northern Lighthouse Board. In 2007, the Scottish Government said this collection was very important to the country.
Building the First Lighthouse
The first light at Kinnaird Head Lighthouse started working on December 1, 1787. It was built by an engineer named Thomas Smith. The light was placed 120 feet (about 36 meters) above the sea. It sat on top of a tower that was part of an old castle.
This early light used lamps that burned whale oil. Each lamp had a curved mirror behind it. This mirror helped to make the light brighter. Kinnaird Head was the strongest light of its time. It had 17 mirrors arranged in three rows. People said you could see its light from 12 to 14 miles away. The first lighthouse keeper was James Park. He was paid a shilling each night. He worked there for almost ten years.
Changes and Upgrades
Over the years, the lighthouse was improved many times. In 1824, changes were made inside the castle tower. A new lighthouse tower was built through the old one. This new tower held a new lantern and mirrors. These upgrades were done by Robert Stevenson.
In 1851, Robert's son, Alan Stevenson, added a special lens. This was a "first order dioptric lens." It was a very large and powerful lens. It made the light shine steadily. The lighthouse area also got better in 1853. New buildings were made for the keepers to live in. These were designed by brothers David and Thomas Stevenson.
Later, in 1902, David Alan Stevenson made more improvements. He put in a new lens that made the light flash. This special lens was called a "hyperradiant Fresnel lens." It made one flash every fifteen seconds. You could see this light from 25 to 27 miles away! David and his brother Charles Alexander Stevenson designed this lens. It was made by a company called Chance Brothers. Only nine lighthouses in Scotland got these super-powerful lenses. Today, only Kinnaird Head and Hyskeir still have them. A foghorn was also added in 1903. It would blast for 7 seconds every 90 seconds to warn ships in foggy weather.
In 1906, the light was changed to use incandescent lamps. These were brighter and more modern. In 1929, Kinnaird Head became home to Scotland's first radio beacon. This sent out radio signals to help ships navigate. The foghorn stopped working in 1987, but you can still see it there. The original lighthouse is no longer used for navigation. It is now the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. A new, automatic light was built next to the old one in 1991.
Special Celebrations
In 2012, the old Kinnaird Head Lighthouse was lit up again for two special events. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses organized these celebrations. First, on June 2, 2012, the light shone to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This marked 60 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
The light was lit again on December 1, 2012. This celebrated the 225th anniversary of Kinnaird Head Lighthouse. The light came on at 3:31 PM. It stayed on until 8:30 AM the next morning. This was a full 17-hour shift, just like in the old days!
See Also
- List of lighthouses in Scotland
- List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
