While on holiday in Scotland a couple weeks ago, May 2018, I managed to photograph quite a few lighthouses for my Stevenson Lighthouse Category. The best one for location, was Neist Point Lighthouse on the Isle of Skye, on the most westerly tip of Skye near the township of Glendale. I had read that you could climb down steps to the lighthouse, that they were steep, but there was a handrail. We arrived to find it was very busy, in fact everywhere this year was busy……I think everyone has found out how wonderful Scotland is for a holiday……anyway, we parked the car and headed in the direction of the lighthouse. We climbed down to the start of the steps, down a few steps and then….that was it, far too steep for me, far too many people trying to get up and down at the same time. If we had been on our own, or if there had only been a few people I would have gone down, so I decided we would turn back and climb the hill side of the cliffs and get some shots that way. It was very steep and muddy, but worth it for the views and thank goodness it was one of the non stormy days we had.
The lighthouse was designed by David Alan Stevenson at cost of £4350.00 and was first lit on 1 November 1909, and automated in 1990, when the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. The keeper’s cottages that surround the tower are now privately owned, for a few years were used as holiday lets, but recently they don’t seem to have been used, and the whole place has an air of abandonment.
Neist Point (pronounced ‘Neest’) is renowned for its rock formations, which are closely akin to those at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. It is said that the causeway extends under the sea from Northern Ireland to the Isle of Skye.
Beautiful! How delightful it would be to be able to rent a room for the night … wiindows wide open so you could hear the water all night!
Yes its a beautiful location, shame it didn’t work out as holiday homes, unfortunately is is a little derelict now. But maybe one day some one will do something with it 🙂
2008 my husband and I were the only people who managed to get down the stairs and spent some time there. it was beautiful.
How lovely, I would have loved to have done it, but far too many people there of me 🙂
We arrived in the afternoon, and the light was fantastic. Down at the beach we spent much time playing with the stones – later I got excited when I heard that Neist Point was a film location of “Breaking the Waves”
cheers
Ulrike
Sounds like you had a great time 🙂
Yes, but that was 10 yrs ago, and all that’s remaining are the memories. They cannot be repeated but I can try to find new inspiration.
Yes wonderful memories, buy you have just keep making new ones 🙂
lovely looking lighthouse.
Yes and in a lovely location 🙂
What a lovely place to visit, i shall add to my to do list!
Yes it a lovely place to visit, we loved it 🙂
Reblogged this on Rambling Scotland.
A marine palace – beautiful!
Yes, this one is in wonderful location, you can see whales from the headland 🙂
This looks like a wonderful place to visit.
If you are lucky, you can see whales, lots of seals and birds……unfortunately we didn’t see any, but it was still a lovely place to visit 🙂
My parents took me to Scotland in 2003. We got to visit the Isle of Skye, very pretty place.
Yes Skye is a lovely island, glad you got to visit 🙂
Amazing pictures! I have done a road trip to the Scottish Highlands but haven’t been to the Isle of Skye. would definitely visit next time when we do. Any tips for visiting Skye?
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the pictures. The island is very beautiful, but one tip would be, if you are driving, to mind the pot holes in the road. They were really bad this year. Also it does get very busy, so go in May or late September and go early to visit any castles or any other venues, again a lot of people visiting. Apart from that, you will love it 🙂