Category: Tour Diary

Given that I am now based on the north coast of Scotland, it has become even more important to cram more into each visit to the south coast. Making the most of an opportunity when Bob had to meet a client in Devon, we flew down to Exeter a couple of Saturday’s ago to finally pay a visit to those lighthouses that I hadn’t yet had the pleasure to meet.

Arriving shortly after 10am we picked up our little white Fiat 500 and headed west. There was a hill that Bob still needed to bag, which happened to be on the way to the first lighthouse, St Anthony Head. We hadn’t done any research on this hill beforehand and, as we drove around, we were looking for a high point using the handheld GPS. We thought we had spotted it. We got out of the car and starting heading for what we thought was Hensbarrow Beacon, but at one point on the journey the GPS started telling us that we had gone to far. It turns out that Hensbarrow Beacon used to be the highest point in Cornwall before they started creating and building up slag heaps around it. So, it turned out that reaching the top was a lot easier that planned, but it was a little disheartening to be standing at its summit, surrounded on three sides by higher areas of land.

Hoping for better luck on our next stop, we headed for the Roseland Peninsula and St Anthony Head. We encountered some long, winding roads on the way there before finally reaching the car park. Following signs to the lighthouse, we followed the steep path down to the locked gates near the lighthouse. As usual, Bob tried to find a way of getting in, but to no avail this time. Instead we wander back up and around to the old battery there, where we had some lovely views to the south and another angle on the lighthouse. A beautiful location and a great lighthouse.

From here we managed to miss a right turn and ended up in St Mawes, where no one wants to move out of the road for cars. We did, however, manage to pick up a huge Cornish pasty each though!

 

Fowey was our next stop and this one presented us with something of a challenge. Again we used the GPS to search for it and we wander along the coastal path to the south of the town, but the GPS was directing us closer to the coast than we thought we were able to go. Fortunately though, Bob was actually looking properly and noticed a gate in amongst the foliage on the coast side of the path. A gap in the bushes had been created next to the gate so we crept in and, as we approached the end of the path, we could clearly see a big red structure. It’s only a short little thing, but being so high up on the cliffs it wouldn’t need to be tall. The small area around the lighthouse was looking a little run down, but we got some good pictures and, again, enjoyed the views before continuing on our journey.

 

 

While these two lighthouses were the ones I had not yet seen, I was keen to revisit Portland Bill where I knew there were three lighthouses, but I’d only ever really taken notice of two of them. By the time we reached Portland it was getting darker by the minute and we hurried around, trying to capture them all before we could no longer see. The operational lighthouse at Portland was in action and looking wonderful. Although I’d lived in nearby Weymouth for two years, I’d never seen Portland Bill in the dark or the lighthouse working at night. We managed to get a look at the lighthouse I’d managed not to see properly before and Bob’s persistence with getting a good picture of the other old lighthouse next to road paid off.

We’d booked to stay at a B&B in North Perrott in Somerset that night and arrived here later than planned and completely exhausted. It had been a busy day, but we’d managed to see what we had planned.

On Sunday we drove to Bristol in preparation for a trip out on the Bristol Packet boat that sails along Avon Gorge and out to Avonmouth. As you would expect, this trip wasn’t planned just for a nice boat ride, we had lighthouses in mind! Avonmouth docks had proven difficult to access meaning we hadn’t been able to see the lighthouses on the ends of the piers there – just catching a quick glimpse from the M5 on the approach to Bristol. I felt confident that this boat trip would get us closer.

So, we climbed aboard out of the rain and a short while into the trip Bob spoke to the captain, Andrew, about going out to Avonmouth to see the lighthouses. He told us that he would do his best, although visibility was particularly bad that day and stormy weather was forecast. As we approached the docks we made our way to the front and were able to get some good pictures of the two lighthouses to the east by sticking ourselves out of the open door in the rain. Based on the OS mapping software I have been using to locate the lighthouses, it seemed that there was also one on the end of the pier to the west, but on the day we couldn’t see anything there apart from a sign and lots of street lights (on a pier?!) When I got home I wasn’t able to find any evidence of it existing, so I’m not sure what happened there, but I will look into it further.

After the boat tour was over and we’d returned to not so dry land, we hurried off to the train station for my train and, as I headed towards London for a brief catch up with my friend Jane before catching the sleeper train towards home, Bob drove back down to Devon ready for the Monday morning.

It was certainly a packed weekend, but we managed to escape Cornwall without a parking ticket this time and it was great to see a variety of lighthouses in different shapes and sizes.

I suspect that the next blog on here will appear in a few weeks from now and will be something to do with a  wedding and St Catherine’s lighthouse on the Isle of Wight!!! 🙂

The weekend before last we had planned to take a RIB ride from Arbroath (using the same company who ran the trip to Bell Rock). This would take us south towards the River Tay and then just west into the river to, hopefully, get us a view of the two lighthouses within the military firing area at Barry Buddon. We’d previously looked into access to the lighthouses from the land, but with the military security and possible firing taking place we’d decided not to risk it.

Unfortunately, we were informed towards the end of the week by the owner of the RIB that the sea conditions weren’t looking good for the weekend and he added that the entrance to the river was likely to be treacherous. With this in mind we decided to postpone the trip and head down to Dundee anyway to see one of Bob’s friends.

We arrived and it was then that I discovered that plans had been afoot to get us even closer to the lighthouses than I thought possible. Through a very brilliant contact we were able to gain access to the military area! After some brief discussions which we were not involved in, we headed through to the first lighthouse, which is within a contained area. I think some activities may have been going on, but were put on hold for our visit! Not only were we able to see the lighthouse, but we could actually bag it too! While Bob was busy wondering why there was a radiation warning sign on the door of the lighthouse I was enjoying taking some photos.

After leaving this lighthouse we then made for the second. This one was derelict and a little sad-looking, but (as with the Point of Ayre lighthouse in north Wales) it’s often those that are a little weathered that have the most personality. I was pleased to find that these were actually the first two lighthouses bagged by our wonderful guide and I’m sure there will be plenty more to come for them!

After saying our goodbyes and thanks and heading separate ways, Bob and I drove north(ish) towards Perth for a quick stop on the motor mile. Living on the north coast can, for some, feel quite cut off and we’d decided that I’d need my own car in order to get about for work and personal use around the Highlands. We were planning on sticking to just looking at that stage, but when I saw the brilliant yellow Clio I fell in love, so we went down on the Saturday just gone to collect her!

On the Saturday evening we drove west towards Dalmally and Loch Awe. We’d booked a room at a B&B at the side of Loch Awe, but had forgotten to print out a map of the location. So, we headed for the village of Loch Awe, assuming the Loch Awe House B&B would be there. There was a long-winded series of events, including a visit to the Loch Awe Hotel to ask for directions (at the hotel the lady on the desk asked a young staff member who suggested asking the hotel manager who then phoned her neighbour, Rona,  who provided the useful information that we were on the wrong side of the loch). We eventually found the place and what a beautiful B&B it was! We had stunning views when we awoke and a really lovely big room and bathroom.

On the Sunday morning we drove north to Glencoe where we had arranged to meet Bob’s parents who were playing host to Bob’s sister-in-law, Maria’s parents. It was a complete surprise to them that we were there and it was really lovely to meet them (I look forward to meeting their daughter as well as Bob’s brother in a few weeks). We drove through Glencoe, stopping to take pictures every now and then. We then went to the forest where Lord and Lady Kerr (Andrew and Maria) have a plot of land, their wedding present from Bob. After a lovely walk through the forest we found ourselves hunched over as we pushed our way through the trees, following the GPS device Bob had brought to locate the land. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and the end to a very exciting weekend! 🙂

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post that I am now better located to visit the abundance of lighthouses on the islands surrounding Scotland and here is a perfect example.

On Sunday morning, shortly after agreeing that we would head over to Wick to catch one of the regular wildlife boat tours that sail around Duncansby Head, Bob received a call from Caithness Seacoast to say that they would be heading out to Muckle Skerry that evening. Previously, while I was living in London and needed to head back on a Sunday afternoon/evening, we would have had to turn the opportunity down and hope for a future Saturday trip to go ahead. With my recent relocation to the north coast we can now be a lot more flexible and change our plans, particularly when it means bagging a new lighthouse!

Muckle Skerry sits about 7.3km (4.5 miles) north east of Duncansby Head (the most north easterly point on mainland UK) and is the largest of the four uninhabited islands that make up the Pentland Skerries. Pentland Skerries lighthouse is on the north of Muckle Skerry and is partnered with another tower (without the light room and optic).

As we left home we saw the rain clouds moving in, but we were suitably attired in our waterproofs with hats and gloves at the ready. Anyone who has read my previous posts will probably know that I’m not the biggest fan of getting about by RIB, but it is essential that I tolerate them in order to fulfil my lighthouse-bagging ambitions. We had been reliably informed as well by Caithness Seacoast that the sea conditions were calm as they would not run to the island if it was rough. This was useful information and very welcome!

Being as self-sufficient and well-rehearsed in these boat trips as we are, we were equipped enough to only require the lifejackets from Caithness Seacoast and not the full waterproof suits. We climbed into the RIB with Bob choosing prime position at the front (luckily it was calm). The ride out was beautiful even though my poor face was being pelted with high-speed rain (this was enhanced by the speed of the RIB, it wasn’t actually high-speed). We enjoyed the views of the two beacons in Wick harbour (one of which we’d popped to quickly for a photo shortly before we left) on our way out and were greeting by Noss Head lighthouse a short while later. Duncansby sea stacks followed where we stopped for a while to get some pictures (and enable Bob to assess his climbing routes!) before moving on to see Duncansby Head lighthouse perched on top of the cliff. At the same time we were able to see the change in the sea condition straight ahead of us as the Atlantic hit the North Sea. Fortunately we veered east at this point!

We were treated to views of the three other islands that make up the Pentland Skerries before we arrived at Muckle Skerry itself. Louther Skerry and Clettack Skerry at high tide are little more than clusters of rock that barely appear above the surface of the water. Little Skerry, however, was particularly interesting as the remains of Ben Barvas, which was wrecked on the island in 1964, are still very evident. The crew of the ship were all rescued thankfully and you can see a reconstruction of the events on the day of the wreck on YouTube.

We soon arrived at Muckle Skerry and shuffled off of the boat using the sections of carpet put down on top of the seaweed by the Caithness Seacoast staff to prevent us from slipping. We made it to safety up onto the island and we could immediately see the lighthouse, so off we went.

We bagged the lighthouse successfully and enjoyed the views of it from numerous angles and took in the surrounding geology (as well as an egg shell I saw laying on the ground and became quite fond of). When we arrived there had been dull clouds hanging around, but as the rain stopped the sky cleared and we could see more easily back over to Duncansby Head and then across to the other islands towards mainland Orkney. We recalled a boat trip we had been on over to Orkney and how we had seen the Pentland Skerries lighthouse in the distance. Accessing the island isn’t easy, but where there’s a will there’s a way and Bob always has the will with these things!

On the trip back to Wick we took a more direct route and Bob said he thinks its the longest journey he’s ever taken on a RIB. After the soaking from the rain I was feeling quite cold and so there were some pictures taken of me looking decidedly grumpy before Bob realised he wasn’t likely to get a smile out of me! There was consolation though as we saw Duncansby Head and Noss Head lighthouses in action on the way back. Beautiful!

The harbour looked wonderful when we arrived back as the sun was setting and the lights were all on. A beautiful end to a really interesting and enjoyable trip. I would recommend taking to ride out to anyone who enjoys coastal scenery, doesn’t mind a RIB ride every now and then, and likes a lighthouse (of course)! 🙂

This is a slightly delayed post as I’ve been busy with the exciting developments that are currently taking place, including moving to my new home on the north coast of Scotland, getting married and semi-changing employers (I am still working for Alzheimer’s Disease International, but will now spend more time working with a local company in the north of Scotland called Dementia Friendly Communities).

So, the following actually occurred the week of 5th August on the way from the flat in London to the house in Scotland.

Never content to just do a journey with a single purpose, Bob and I decided we would take a couple of slight detours on the way up the road to visit a couple of lighthouses on the east coast of England that I had, for one reason or another, not yet managed to get to.

We stayed over in Ipswich on the Sunday night after leaving the flat and went for dinner in the town. We had very mixed feelings about Ipswich as we went for an evening stroll through its streets. It very much seems like a place where the young have moved out and left behind a number of older communities. There are signs though that it is on the up and I hope it continues that way. We had a wonderful Brazilian dinner at Rios where we helped ourselves to salad and hot dishes, but also had a wooden block on our table that let the chef know whether or not we wanted more meat delivered (if the green half was facing up they would arrive with their meat on a hot poker and a massive carving knife, if the red half was up they’d leave you be). It was great food, but I think we were both “meated out” by the time we left as Bob in particular was keen to try each type of meat they had on offer.

The following morning we set off for Aldeburgh where I’d read that a boat trip went around the nature reserve that encompassed Orford Ness. In a previous post I mentioned that a news story had been brought to my attention about the switching off of the light in Orfordness lighthouse as it was expected that the structure would fall into the sea within months. Having done some more research, I was then more reliably informed by the BBC website that it will, in fact, be another 7 or 8 years before it is swept away. We’d agreed that we would attempt to visit it after leaving London, but I then found out that the boat that goes across to the Ness from Orford doesn’t run on a Sunday or Monday.  I thought that finding Aldeburgh River Trips was a temporary answer to this problem, but alas it was not to be as the boat travelled west along the river rather than south. It was nice to get some fresh air anyway and we stopped off at The Lighthouse, a restaurant in (a rather posh ) Aldeburgh for fish and chips. We then drove around the Orford to get some long-distance pictures of the lighthouse. We will be back for this one (again) and certainly within the next 7 years!

From Orford we drove back inland and then north towards our next stop in Whitby. During my tour I had struggled to find the high lighthouse on the cliffs here and I know that with Bob’s mapping software at hand we stood a much better chance. As we approached Whitby I did some online research on my phone to look for its location and discovered that, apparently, it is something of a tourist attraction! How this can be I don’t quite know as there are no signposts and the road you take to get to the lighthouse just looks like a narrow road leading to a farm! Another online instruction suggested to follow the light to get there – this is the most unhelpful direction if trying to access it by road. Nevertheless we found it I managed to get a quick “bag” in the cold wind before diving back into the car again. It’s a very Trinity House lighthouse and Bob pointed out that I was wearing a cardigan that matched the Trinity House green – anyone would think that was intentional! The lighthouse cottages are owned by Rural Retreats so it is possible to stay there, which would be fantastic at some point in the future, but we needed to get a move on before dark so our visit was fairly brief.

The rest of our journey was, sadly, void of lighthouses as we needed to get back to the house by the most direct route (with a night’s stay in Glasgow as I was too tired to keep heading north through the night), Fortunately though, my destination was home where I am treated to a beautiful view of Dunnet Head lighthouse flashing at night and, a couple of nights ago, I could even see some of the lights on the islands around Orkney flashing. On our daily evening walks I can also spot Strathy Point lighthouse, although it is no longer in operation. I am now well-located for visiting some more remote lighthouses on the many islands that Scotland has to offer. More news of this tomorrow!

What with moving out of London, planning the wedding and juggling a number of jobs, it’s a busy old time at present. However, this is never allowed to get in the way of a bit of lighthouse bagging! A couple of weekends ago I, once again, hopped on the train to Edinburgh for our second attempt at reaching Bell Rock lighthouse.On the way to Arbroath we swung by Buddon to see if we could reach the lighthouses at Buddon Ness. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy as the area is surrounding by a military firing range and, unfortunately, we were not able to get close. While I was driving from Dundee, Bob did manage to spot them from a distance. We are now making arrangements to see them by boat instead and there will be more details to follow… Whilst driving back and forth, however, we did see a small-scale lighthouse in someone’s front garden. This has inspired us to look at the possibility of doing something similar at home in the future!

As we approached Arbroath we stopped in a bus stop as we spotted (for me it was a re-spot) a red lighthouse at the side of the road. We approached the structure and discovered that it was previously a minor lighthouse on Yell in Shetland. After seeing this lighthouse on my tour last year, I couldn’t recall where exactly it was that I had seen it, so it was good to get that a bit clearer in my mind.

In Arbroath, the weather was looking good and we had enough time to spare to visit the Arbroath Signal Tower Museum where there is a lot of information about Bell Rock lighthouse and the building of it. We were asked if we would like to watch a BBC dramatization of the building of the lighthouse and we couldn’t resist. The film itself actually lasted about 40 minutes so we didn’t end up with a great deal of time to look around, but it gave a really good introduction to the amazing feat that was the building of the lighthouse and the problems caused by the tide and resulting short lengths of time on the rock. It was fascinating and I am pleased we had time to watch it before hopping on the boat.

The RIB ride out to Bell Rock lighthouse was run by Arbroath Sea Safari and we were all give lifejackets to wear. This time mine had a pull cord rather than self-inflating abilities so I practiced easily finding the location of the cord before we got on the boat! We were informed as we left the port that the Northern Lighthouse Board’s maintenance vessel, Pharos, was out at the lighthouse, which I was very excited about. I’m not going to say I enjoyed the trip out to the lighthouse – there were a few times I told Bob that I didn’t like it and I’m sure he pretended not to hear! At one point we stopped and turned around as there was a porpoise or something. I wasn’t worried about the porpoise, I just wanted to get to the lighthouse. Once we reached it we circled around and took a ridiculous amount of pictures. It was high tide while we were out there so there was no sign of the treacherous rocks that it sits upon. It was fascinating to think how much hard work went into it so many years ago and how it has stood the tests of time and definitely weathered the storm! I would recommend a visit to anyone – as long as you can handle the boat ride. We sailed around Pharos and waved to the men onboard who were fishing – I suppose there’s not really a lot they can do when the tide is in!

After arriving safely back on dry land we wandered to The Bell Rock for lunch where we had the famous Arbroath smokie. It tasted really good and I don’t think Bob will ever be satisfied with haddock now unless it’s a smokie!Moving on up the road we headed for Scurdie Ness lighthouse, a bit of a re-visit for me. We managed to make the same mistake as I did by walking along the beach rather than further inland and Bob then had to drag me up a steep slope to get onto the path. It was incredibly hot by this point so I was struggling a little. It was a long walk than I remembered it being, but I was reminded of how well-maintained the tower is. It stands out as one of the brightest, whitest lighthouse towers I’ve seen to date.

Heading further up the road we took a quick turn off to see Todhead lighthouse. This one has been put up for sale since I was last in the area and it looks like there are now lots of flats in the adjoining buildings. It’s not the kind of lighthouse you could spend a long time at due to its close proximity to people’s homes and the fact that it is just at the end of a single-track road with no other paths around.

Onwards we travelled with a stop off at Dunnottar Castle to stroll around the grounds. It had closed shortly before our visit, but we still enjoyed having a look around the beautiful coastline trespassing a little bit – of course! Bob then drove through Aberdeen to show me some of his old haunts from his university days (mostly involving alcohol!). I’d never realised before how expensive Aberdeen was. It has some stunning buildings and huge houses. On the way out of Aberdeen we also passed through some very well-to-do villages. I wouldn’t say I felt at home there!

We then took a drive inland along the A93 and had a quick swing around the entrance to Balmoral. I think the Queen (or someone) must have been home as the gates were closed. We took a drive through Braemar and then found our spot to camp for the night. It wasn’t quite the spot Bob was hoping for as in the numerous years since he last camped in the area, they have now barred off the area where he used to camp. So, in amongst the midges Bob threw the tent up and we hurled everything in. After enjoying a supper of Hula Hoops and wine we went to sleep and I awoke in the early hours in what felt like a sauna. When Bob finally woke up (although it was only just after 7am, it felt like it should have been at least midday) he informed me that it was 38 degrees in the tent. We developed our plan of attack on the midges that Bob would go and unlock the car and I would throw the contents of the tent out to him and then dash to the car while he dismantled the tent. It turned out that our plan was completely unnecessary as there was very little sign of any midges once we got outside.

Our main objective on Sunday was to walk up some hills so we drove to Glenshee Ski Centre and had a bit of breakfast before setting off for the summit of The Cairnwell (my first Munro) and Carn Aosda. We wandered up one of the ski slopes (snow-free) – or should I say Bob wandered up while (stopping frequently to make sure he didn’t leave me behind) I meandered very slowly. We reached the top and enjoyed the views whilst being highly amused by a ptarmigan pretending to be hurt so as to protect its baby. Fascinating! We also saw a couple of hang gliders which we were (I was) captivated by for a while. We then descended and wandered along to Carn Aosda, which was a lot easier seeing as we had already done the majority of the height gain in getting up The Cairnwell. I was pleased to achieve my first and second Munros in the same day. Apparently I’ll get addicted now, but I’m not sure about that.

On our way back to Edinburgh we paid a brief visit to Rosslyn Chapel, which was incredibly busy, but a really beautiful building. By this point we were both rather sunburnt from our day on the hills. It was great to see the chapel and get a discount too as we had so little time to look around before they closed!

It was a wonderful weekend and very varied with a bit of everything thrown in.

The next instalment of the UK lighthouse tour will most likely come once I have become a fully fledged resident of Scotland! Until then… 🙂

On Sunday we had a slightly later start and reached South Queensferry a little early for the Forth Belle boat tour of the Forth. While we waited we enjoyed the views of the Forth Rail Bridge and spotted the lighthouse that sits alongside the base of one of the bridge pillars. We also paid a visit to the RNLI shop and enquired about a lighthouse-looking building just outside their door. We were informed that it was a former lighthouse and that there was a similar one of the north side of the Forth at North Queensferry, which was being better maintained. It was a shame that they weren’t making more of the old lighthouse, particularly as the pier is a popular area with those on boat tours visiting on a daily basis.

We also asked about the situation with the old Beamer Rock lighthouse. The lighthouse had previously sat on a rock in the middle of the Forth, but had been dismantled a couple of years ago to make way for one of the pillars of the new Forth Road Bridge being built. It was sad to learn that it had been removed, but I’d previously read an article about North and South Queensferry arguing over who should house the lighthouse as an exhibit in the future (or should I say house the bridge museum that will probably include the lighthouse). While we were waiting for the boat to arrive I received an email informing me that Orfordness lighthouse was likely to slip into the sea within the coming months. The land it sits on is now so unstable that it was switched off and is now being left to drift away. I found this particularly sad as it is a real sign of how little people seem to care for lighthouses these days, even when they have been in operation for over 200 years. In many cases it is actually local communities that campaign for lighthouses to be saved. I was informed of one example of this over the weekend – the old lighthouse at Scoraig in the west of Scotland was was saved by the community when it due to be lifted by helicopter and dropped into the sea. I am not sure if there are any intentions within Orford to save the lighthouse there. During my month-long tour I missed the last boat out to Orford Ness to see the lighthouse by about 20 minutes so I have yet to visit this one. I plan to do exactly that as soon as possible though to ensure I get to see it before it is not longer there.

Anyway, the boat arrived and we hopped on, poised to see some more lighthouses. The boat stopped at Inchcolm, a small island in the Forth with an old abbey which you could explore. We decided that we would jump off at the island, but before we even got there we sailed past Oxcars lighthouse, which sits in the middle of the Forth. We also spotted some seals laying around on buoys on the way to the island. All very exciting. When we first reached the island we considered attempting to reach the high point. We noticed the warning sign at the bottom of a set of steps informing us that it was nesting season and the birds may attack. We slowly made our way up the steps, but decided to turn around as the seagulls weren’t looking very happy with us. We plan to go back again outside of nesting season when we will be make it up there safely. We strolled over to the abbey and explored the rooms, tight spiral staircases and ruins before sitting down for lunch. It’s a great little island and I look forward to the revisit when we will be able to explore even more of it.

Back on the boat we got a good look at the lighthouse under the Forth Rail Bridge as we sailed past. We continued along until we reached the original location of Beamer Rock before heading back. Since we had left the mainland the tide had come in and the wind had picked up a little. This was going to make it difficult for the boat to dock at the pier as the side it would usually use was almost entirely covered in water and the section that was still exposed was being a little battered by waves. After an attempt to dock on that side anyway we made our way around to the other side of the pier. That attempt was also unsuccessful so we tried again on the original side, still without success. On our forth attempt to dock we finally made it back to dry land (sort of – I was splashed by a wave just after we got back).

Our next priority was the cross the bridge and visit the old lighthouse in North Queensferry, which we’d been able to locate from the ferry. It was easy enough to find and I was privileged to be able to light the lamp myself and receive a certificate for doing so! the lighthouse and a small hut next door to it have now been turned into exhibitions and it was great to chat to the man who runs the proceedings there. A lovely experience and great to hear of a community keeping the lighthouse spirit alive!

That marked the end of the lighthouse bagging for the weekend. We will be back in the area again soon and hope to try again for another attempt on Bell Rock lighthouse. Watch this space! 🙂

Last weekend I headed to Edinburgh to meet Bob for another weekend of lighthouse bagging and visiting some of those I missed during my original tour. The problem with lighthouses in Scotland is that there is currently no full list of lighthouses that I have been able to find. Some mapping software that Bob uses is now available to me and not only shows me where the lighthouses are, but also makes it clear which are actual lighthouses and which are classified as beacons.

Our original priority for the weekend though was to attempt to reach Bell Rock lighthouse, a fantastic structure that has acted as template for many other since it was completed in 1811. However, the weather wasn’t ideal for the trip and the RIB didn’t run, but Bob managed to make another booking at short notice for another RIB that was heading out to the Isle of May. So, on Saturday morning we headed along to Anstruther to catch the boat and while we were kitted out with lifejackets and the boat was wiped down ready for us I was a little concerned. Not being able to swim does make me worry a little about being on the water, but I was mainly worried about whether we would be bouncing over waves and thrown about all over the place. Fortunately, the journey out to the island was smooth and as we got closer we saw our first puffins of the day. I was starting to believe that they didn’t exist because I was told they would be in certain places, but they were never there. So, it was lovely to see them finally. We also saw some seals before we travelled around the fantastic coast with its sea stacks and bird-covered cliffs. We arrived at the small harbour and had to make our way (with our hoods up) through a large number of nesting terns.

At the top of the island is the Isle of May lighthouse, which is a beautiful building with castle-esque elements. We sat at a bench behind the lighthouse for lunch with some wonderful views back towards the mainland and Bass Rock (which has a lighthouse and fascinates me). We then wandered to the north of the island to see the (very lighthouse-looking) beacon. It is now a holiday cottage that sits a short distance from a beautiful stretch of coastline where you can see the puffins going into and coming out of their burrows. We got some amazing pictures of the puffins from here. After this was headed up to the foghorn at the south of the island and again enjoyed the views and more puffin encounters. The journey back from the Isle of May wasn’t quite as calm as the ride out, but I enjoyed it (Bob had offered to sit on the side that was most likely to get wet). It was great to head out to the island and see the nature and, of course, the beautiful lighthouse.

After enjoying an ice cream in Anstruther whilst walking out along the pier to the lighthouse (although it doesn’t appear to exist on the mapping software) we drove north through St Andrews and to Tayport to visit some more lighthouses. The two lights at Tayport aren’t quite as enjoyable to visit as others as they are now on private land, so it was more a matter of jumping out of the car, taking a couple of quick photos and getting back into the car. It took a little while to find the road to the lighthouses, but we were also able to the see the pile lighthouse (that’s actually a beacon) in the sea just off of the coast.

We were both craving fish and chips and couldn’t seem to find anywhere decent in the area, so we hurried back down to Anstruther where we had seen plenty of shops serving exactly that. On the way back to Edinburgh we stopped off briefly in Elie so I could show Bob the Elie Ness lighthouse, which is just past the lovely little Ruby Bay. I like this lighthouse in particular as it looks like a tiny castle and has its own bridge leading to it. We walked around on the rocks near the lighthouse and Bob taught me a bit about the geological processes that had happened there.

Before we finished for the day we stopped off in Leith, just north of Edinburgh, to see the lighthouses there. On the way to the end of the west pier we spotted Newhaven harbour lighthouse, which I had seen from a distance during my month-long tour. We wandered out to the lighthouse for a brief visit and then continued on our way. After a short walk we made it to the west pier lighthouse and could see across to the east breakwater head lighthouse as well as the flashing of the light on Inchkeith out in the Firth of Forth. The west pier lighthouse is possible one of the most neglected I have seen with no windows and grafitti. We attempted to reach the east breakwater lighthouse, but were unable to get a closer look due to closed gates in the docks. We had seen its red flashing light from the other side though, which was good enough for me.

This ended a busy, but very enjoyable, day. But there was more to follow…

It’s been a while since I’ve done any light-seeking as Bob was away on the Big Hill (with the exception of a great birthday weekend away with my flatmate), but as soon as he returned back at Heathrow we hired a car and headed to the coast. Our first destination was Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast on 31st May. Staying the night in Ilfracombe positioned us well for a boat trip over to Lundy Island the following day. We enjoyed a lovely Italian meal after our arrival and spent a while looking at the beautiful coastal scenery before heading back to our B&B for the night.

We set off for Lundy on the MS Oldenburg and while we were waiting to board I spotted the old chapel on top of a nearby hill with the old lighthouse lantern sitting on top. We explored this further once we had returned to Ilfracombe that evening – realising that the best view is actually from a distance! On the journey to Lundy, as I expected we spotted Bull Point lighthouse, which I will come back to shortly. It was good to be back to lighthouse-spotting again.

As we approached Lundy we could see both the South lighthouse which sits above the harbour area as well as the old lighthouse, which isn’t far from the highest point on the island. Lundy Island is 3 miles (5km) from north to south and as we only had four hours to explore we headed straight for the lighthouse at the most northern point. When I say ‘straight’ it wasn’t quite as straight as expected. It turned out we took the long way around on the way to the lighthouse, but fortunately this took us past the old lighthouse. While I was busy taking photos of the lighthouse Bob was exploring and discovered that it was actually possible (and legal) to climb to the top of the lighthouse. So, up we went! There were some fairly narrow steps in places, but we reached the top without incident and were delighted to see that the old light had been removed and replaced by two deck chairs sitting on the platform in the middle of the lantern. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting down at the top of the lighthouse, taking in the views and generally relaxing. Definitely the most relaxing lighthouse visit so far!

We then found the island high point and both successfully ‘scaled’ it, returning back down the small hill safely! The majority of the climb had been immediately after we arrived on the island, the high point had very little prominence in comparison to the surrounding area. We then following the west coast northwards, checking out the old earthquake remnants in the land and the wildlife as we went. There are some fantastic views from the west coast.

When we reached the north of the island we looked down at the lighthouse – yes, down! There were a number of steps leading down to it and I dreaded the climb back up. Fortunately we were well-equipped with Cadbury Buttons, which kept me going on the way back up to the main path. We had a wander around the lighthouse and enjoyed the views. There is something incredibly beautiful about lighthouses that you have to go to some effort to get to (or should I say ‘back from’), such as Mull of Kintyre and the struggle that was to come later that weekend!

We managed to find the right road/path back easily (the one that runs across the middle of the island) and made our way back towards the boat and, more importantly, the south lighthouse. Once we got there, rather than using the standard semi-path route, Bob thought it was best to force me up a steep slope covered in foliage. Anyway, we made it up to the lighthouse (yes, up to this one – you can also climb up a further level to be in line with the lantern) and relaxed for a while overlooking the stunning rocks around the area. We had a wander around these rocks before leaving as the tide was out.

We spent another evening in Ilfracombe and visited a Chinese/Indian/Nepalese restaurant so I could sample some of the British version of the Nepalese food that Bob had been eating while he was on the Big Hill. Unfortunately there wasn’t a great deal of Nepalese food on offer, but it was nice enough nonetheless.

The following day we set off for Bull Point. It was a nice stroll to the lighthouse along some quiet and picturesque pathways. Bull Point lighthouse is really quite interesting and completely unlike many other Trinity House lighthouses. It’s foghorn is built into the tower itself underneath the lantern. It’s a beautiful structure.

We then headed east through Lynmouth where we stopped for an ice cream before continuing on to reach “the struggle” as I will now name it. Foreland Point lighthouse has a lovely single-track road leading down to the lighthouse. Unfortunately, it also has a sign at the car park at the top saying there is no vehicular access after the car park. It was  nice day so we decided to stroll on down. I didn’t realise that it was actually going to rival Mull of Kintyre in its windy, steep road leading down to the lighthouse! There were some lovely views, mainly though of the road as a wove down the hill! As usual though the lighthouse was beautiful and had the tranquil feel about it. We had a look about and enjoyed the views back across to the east of the rugged coastline before heading back up the hill. I whinged less on the way up the hill as I had on the way down and we made it to the top in fairly good time. This effort was shortly rewarded with a very easy summit of Selworthy Beacon, a Marilyn that you could drive almost to the summit of – with a bit of off-roading thrown in! We then followed this up with another summit – involving a little bit more walking – of Dunkery Beacon from the top of which we had some wonderful views across Exmoor National Park. That evening we made our way to Bideford for the night and enjoyed some good old fish and chips for dinner.

On the Monday we drove westwards towards Hartland Point with its lighthouse. Unfortunately we weren’t able to reach the lighthouse as it sits on the end of a rock with access via a private gated road. Bob obviously managed to find a way over the gate, but I very sensibly informed him that I didn’t feel comfortable about trespassing there. We were able to spot the lighthouse for the other side of the rock and we had some lovely views out to sea. Visiting Hartland Point meant that we took a brief break from Devon and spent a few hours in Cornwall. We then stopped in Newquay for lunch and promptly left Cornwall with its winding roads!

The rest of the day was planned out in my mind and I just needed to make sure Bob went along with my plans, which were to be kept secret from him. I had arranged with the team at the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP) that we would visit their offices that afternoon an Bob would be officially presented with the Founders Award that he had not been able to recieve at their conference due to his Big Hill expedition. He knew that we might visit them at some point, it was just a matter of making sure we got there then. They had made some lovely arrangements for the presentation and it was great to meet the team that I had been in contact with while Bob had been away. That evening Bob was invited to speak at a local primary school assembly the following morning about the Big Hill, which he was happy to accept. We were then provided with dinner and the most amazing hotel room thanks to SRP and I had a lot of fun having my picture taken in every room and enjoying the surrounding area of Dartington Hall and it’s lovely gardens.

On Tuesday morning we attended the assembly and Bob had plenty of questions thrown at him by the children. Apparently he’s not quite as famous as Rodney the local butcher – who had been in to show them how sausages were made – just yet! After we left the school we headed on to Torquay for the very important task of buying our wedding rings. I am pleased to report that they have now been found and are on order. Yay!

On the way back up towards London that afternoon we stopped off in Burham-on-Sea to see the lighthouse there. The high lighthouse, although very visible as you enter the east side of the town, isn’t particularly easy to get pictures of. From the land side it looks like a tall white tower with no light, but it does indeed have a lantern and a big red vertical stripe down the front. It was a little odd. We much preferred the beacon on the beach, a nine-legged structure that stands in the middle of the beach! A few hours later we arrived back in London after a very packed but enjoyable weekend.

Since this trip I have been back up to the north coast of Scotland again and seen both Tarbet Ness and Strathy Point lighthouse from a distance, as well as Dunnet Head flashing at night. Lighthouse bliss! We have another weekend of lighthouse-bagging lined up for the south east of Scotland shortly so look out for the report on that! 🙂

To make the most of the long weekend, my flatmate Liz treated me to an early birthday surprise weekend. The only thing I knew about the weekend was that we were going to Guernsey (and I was supposed to have forgotten that I’d been asked about this). However, I was completely unaware that this destination was only a part of the weekend and that our first stop was actually Bognor Regis. We had mentioned visiting this seaside town in the past, but it had never happened. This first stop was revealed to me though on Friday evening when I was presented with my early birthday cake, birthday card and itinerary for the weekend.

So, on Saturday morning we headed south and, as instructed, I directed us towards the seafront to eat lunch. However, I was informed that we were actually stopping off in the town centre first. We passed the train station and, to my surprise, my sister Katy was there waiting to join our day of fun in Bognor. We then spent some time on the seafront, after we’d established that there was no lighthouse in Bognor. However, we did see some replicas (or fakes), one of which was part of a mini golf course and a couple more within the grounds of Butlins. Visiting Butlins wasn’t quite the reminicence experience I thought it would be, but there was a few small details I remembered. We also visit Hotham Park and took a miniture railway journey. All in all, a great day with various weather conditions setting in.

On Sunday morning we headed off early for Poole to catch the Condor ferry over to Guernsey. It was a three-hour boat ride, during which we were able to see (from a distance) Casquets lighthouse to the west and then Alderney lighthouse to the east. As we approached St Peter Port we were pleased to spot another lighthouse on the south pier followed by yet another on the north pier. Four lighthouse before we’d even berthed wasn’t bad at all! As soon as we reached the island we headed straight for the bus that travelled around the coast for the bargain price of £1 per journey.

We hopped off at the south west of the island and headed to Plienmont Headland for a view of Les Hanois lighthouse, which marks the most westerly point of the Channel Islands. I was fortunate enough to be on the phone to Bob (who is currently climbing Everest and doing very well) when I spotted the lighthouse. It’s a stunning view with the rocky coastal surroundings of the headland. After we’d spend a while gazing at the lighthouse (well, that’s what I was doing anyway), we headed along Rocquaine Bay to Fort Grey to visit the Shipwreck Museum. There was a replica of Les Hanois lighthouse before it had the helipad fitted – with flashing light! A very nice little museum and some beautiful views from the tower as well.

After a quick drink and ice cream we caught the bus again and headed for Cobo Bay. We sat and enjoyed this beautiful beach for a while before wandering along to the north east end and onto Saline Bay. At the end of this beach we arrive at Port Soif. To the south of Port Soif there are some observation towers hidden amongst the rocky coastline which we enjoyed exploring. We then strolled along to catch the bus back to St Peter Port where we paid a quick stop at Candie Gardens and had dinner on the seafront before catching the ferry back at around 10pm.

Despite the sunburn that resulted from Sunday’s trip to Guernsey (particularly for poor Liz who is still suffering), it was a great weekend and helped to tick a few more off of my list. There is still plenty more to do in the Channel Islands though and this taster has made me very excited about heading off to Jersey, Sark and as many of the other islands as I can possibly reach! 🙂

The weekend just gone was reserved for a visit to the Isle of Wight to make more plans for the (very exciting) wedding in October! I tried on my dress (the actual dress) for the first time and wish I was able to wear it all the time! We also visited the ceremony venue, which is absolutely beautiful. Just need to keep our fingers crossed now for a lovely day so we can use the outdoor area for the wedding! We also popped in to see my Nan and had dinner with my parents, which was lovely.

On Sunday our aim was to visit some of the lighthouses on the south east coast that I wasn’t able to get to on my tour, so we headed off early and, once back on mainland UK, headed east along to Shoreham. Now, as much as I love a remote lighthouse with beautiful cliffs and endless green fields, I am also very appreciative of a roadside lighthouse at times and this is certainly the case in Shoreham. The tall structure sits just next to the road near the lifeboat station. We parked up (in the BMW that Bob had managed to cheekily hire for a reduced rate) and took some photos before returning to the warm confines of the car. The weather wasn’t particularly special this weekend (although the rain held off briefly while we were looking at the gardens area of the wedding venue) and so we attempted to minimise too much exposure to the rain and wind.

From Shoreham we headed further east along the coastal roads, through Brighton and on to Newhaven. In complete contrast to Shoreham, where we were able to park right next to the lighthouse, we were not able to touch either of the lighthouses in Newhaven. The first, on the end of the breakwater on the west entrance of the river, was blocked off by large gates preventing access to the breakwater and the second, on the small pier at the east entrance of the river, appeared to be better viewed from the land to the west as there appeared to be no easy access from the east. All in all, it wasn’t the most inspiring of lighthouse visits, but at least we have been there and done a bit of “tidying up”. We had a short time to spare before we were due to meet one of Bob’s clients, so we continue a little further along the coast to Eastbourne. As a child, Bob visited Eastbourne a number of times and I was given a tour of some of the places he frequented while there, including Treasure Island on the sea front where he “picked up a verruca”. That was certainly my fascinating fact of the day! We also drove alongside Windover Hill so I could be introduced to the Long Man of Wilmington, a hill figure.

While in the area we, of course, had to pay a visit to Beachy Head to see the lighthouse down on the beach (while Bob held on tight to me so I didn’t fall over the edge of the cliff) and Belle Tout lighthouse, sitting on the edge of the continually eroding coastline. We headed around the corner to Birling Gap where Bob pointed out how much of the cliff had fallen away since he had visited as a child.

After a short meeting with Bob’s client, we headed on to see my friend Laura and her boyfriend Dave, who both had yet to meet Bob. It was good to catch up with them and finally get them introduced to each other.

All in all, and regardless of the terrible weather, it was a very enjoyable weekend and has helped me to add some more red dots on my lighthouse map for those I’ve been to see 🙂