Rattray Head facts for kids
Rattray Head is a special piece of land that sticks out into the sea. It used to be called Rattray Point. You can find it in a part of Scotland called Buchan, which is in Aberdeenshire, on the north-east coast.
North of Rattray Head is a place called Strathbeg Bay. To its south, you'll find Rattray Bay. The sandy hills, called dunes, at Rattray Head beach can be as tall as 75 feet (23 m). These dunes stretch for about 17 miles (27 km) from a village called St Combs all the way to the town of Peterhead.
Rattray Head Lighthouse: A Coastal Guardian
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| Rattray Head Lighthouse | |
| Location | Rattray Head Buchan Aberdeenshire Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 57°36′36″N 1°49′00″W / 57.610123°N 1.816557°W |
| Year first constructed | 1895 |
| Automated | 1982 |
| Foundation | granite basement |
| Construction | brick tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern on a conical frustum basement |
| Markings / pattern | unpainted basement, white tower, black lantern |
| Height | 34 metres (112 ft) |
| Focal height | 28 metres (92 ft) |
| Intensity | 156,000 candela |
| Range | 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl (3) W 30s. |
| Fog signal | 2 blasts every 45s. |
| Admiralty number | A3304 |
| NGA number | 2776 |
| ARLHS number | SCO-179 |
The Rattray Head lighthouse stands 120-foot (37 m) tall. It was built a long time ago, in 1895. Two brothers, David Alan Stevenson and Charles Alexander Stevenson, who were engineers, designed and built it.
In February 1982, the lighthouse became "unmanned." This means no one lives there anymore to operate it. It now works all by itself, using modern technology.
How to Reach the Lighthouse
You can get to the lighthouse by walking or driving across a special path called a causeway. This path is usually covered by the sea. You can only see it and use it when the tide is low. It's wide enough for a car to drive across.
Shipwrecks Near the Headland
If you visit the beach, you might see parts of old ships. These are the remains of several shipwrecks. They are a reminder of the dangers ships faced in the past near Rattray Head.
