Kinnaird Head Lighthouses facts for kids

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Kinnaird Head is a cool place in Fraserburgh, Scotland, that has two lighthouses! One is a really old lighthouse built inside a castle. The other is a newer one, built in 1991. The old lighthouse isn't used to guide ships anymore. Instead, it's now part of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, where you can learn all about these amazing buildings.

Building the First Lighthouse

The very first light at Kinnaird Head Lighthouse was turned on by a clever engineer named Thomas Smith on December 1, 1787. Imagine a huge lamp placed 120 feet (about 36 meters) above the sea, right on top of the old castle tower!

This early lighthouse used special lamps that burned whale oil. Each lamp had a curved mirror behind it, called a parabolic reflector. These mirrors helped to make the light much brighter and send it far out to sea. Kinnaird Head was super powerful for its time! It had 17 of these lamps and reflectors, arranged in three rows. People could see its light from about 12 to 14 miles (19 to 22 kilometers) away. The first person to look after the light was James Park, who worked there for almost ten years.

Lighthouse Upgrades

Over the years, the lighthouse got many improvements to make it even better.

New Towers and Lenses

In 1824, some big changes happened inside the castle. A new lighthouse tower was built right through the old castle tower! This new tower held a brighter lamp and more reflectors, designed by Robert Stevenson. He was a famous lighthouse engineer.

Later, in 1851, Robert's son, Alan Stevenson, added a special "first order dioptric lens." This was a huge, powerful lens that helped focus the light even more, making it shine steadily.

Brighter Flashes and Foghorns

In 1902, another Stevenson, David Alan Stevenson, made the light even stronger. He put in a flashing lens that made the light flash once every fifteen seconds. This super-bright light could be seen from 25 to 27 miles (40 to 43 kilometers) away! This special lens was called a "hyperradiant fresnel lens." Only a few lighthouses in Scotland got these powerful lenses, and Kinnaird Head is one of the few that still has its original one today.

A loud foghorn was also added in 1903. It would blast for 7 seconds every 90 seconds to warn ships when it was foggy.

Modern Changes

In 1906, the light was changed to use incandescent lamps, which were more modern. Then, in 1929, Kinnaird Head became the first place in Scotland to have a radio beacon. This sent out radio signals to help ships find their way, even when they couldn't see the light.

The foghorn stopped working in 1987, but you can still see it there. The original lighthouse is now a museum. A new, automatic light was built next to it in 1991, which still guides ships today.

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 brightly to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This marked 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II became queen.

Second, on December 1, 2012, the light was turned on again to celebrate Kinnaird Head's 225th birthday! The light came on at 3:31 PM and stayed on until 8:30 AM the next morning, shining for a full 17 hours.

See also

• List of lighthouses in Scotland
• List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses