Muckle Skerry facts for kids
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| Pentland Skerries High and Low Lighthouses | |
 Muckle Skerry
Location in Orkney Islands
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| Location | Muckle Skerry Pentland Skerries Orkney Scotland United Kingdom |
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| Coordinates | 58°41′25″N 2°55′29″W / 58.690221°N 2.924735°W |
| Year first constructed | 1794 |
| Year first lit | 1820s rebuilt |
| Automated | 1994 |
| Construction | stone tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, black lantern, ochre trim |
| Height | 36 metres (118 ft) |
| Focal height | 52 metres (171 ft) |
| Range | 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 30s. |
| Admiralty number | A3562 |
| NGA number | 3020 |
| ARLHS number | SCO-169 |
Muckle Skerry is the largest of the Pentland Skerries. These small islands are found off the northern coast of Scotland. Muckle Skerry is famous for being home to the Pentland Skerries Lighthouse.
This skerry is located in the Pentland Firth, a busy stretch of water. It is the most western of the skerries. Muckle Skerry is about one kilometre (three-fifths of a mile) long. It rises to a height of 20 metres (66 feet) above the sea. This size is large enough for it to be called an island. However, the weather in the Pentland Firth is often very rough. This harsh weather has made Muckle Skerry impossible for people to live on. Because of this, it is usually thought of as a skerry, which is a small, rocky island.
Pentland Skerries Lighthouse
The Pentland Skerries Lighthouse was built in 1794. It was constructed by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights. These are the people in charge of lighthouses in Scotland.
The engineers who designed and built it were Thomas Smith and his stepson, Robert Stevenson. This was the very first lighthouse that Robert Stevenson officially worked on. He later became a very famous lighthouse engineer. The lighthouse helps guide ships safely through the Pentland Firth.
