It’s the final day of the holiday before the journey home and I couldn’t let it pass without a lighthouse or two. Loch Ryan and Killantringan lighthouses featured in my original tour, but I’d not been back since. I’d learnt that it was possible to get better views of them than I’d previously had and now with Joe the Drone (yes, he has a name and I thought I’d use it as I think he may receive regular mentions in the future) as part of the tools available to us it seemed like a good time to pay them a revisit.
In my previously cautious way (and I am still cautious sometimes) I’d contented myself with the view of Loch Ryan lighthouse from the road. The signs saying “Danger” and “Keep out” were enough to put me off attempting anything more. The lighthouse is at the back of what appears to be an abandoned area of wasteland. Parking at the car park we went down onto the beach and quickly came to the burn (or stream) that crossed the beach, heading down into the sea. It was deeper than it looked in places, but we managed to navigate our way across and I was glad of the extra platform I have on my walking boots, and their waterproof features too!
From here it was a short walk along the shoreline to the lighthouse. Although it’s quite a substantial tower there are no associated cottages next to it or within the compound. It is clear that its purpose is limited to navigating ships safely into and out of Loch Ryan by its basic layout and lack of the little decorative details that you find on many other Scottish lights – particularly those designed by Alan Stevenson as this one was.
It was a nice stroll along the shore though and Joe the Drone managed to capture some great images too. As we left I noticed a sign warning that large waves often occurred on the beach there up to 30 minutes after a ferry had passed. Luckily we didn’t need to worry about that!
The revisit to Killantringan was partially inspired by the fact that Bob hadn’t been there before and also that my lighthouse accomplice John had sent a picture of it taken from an entirely different angle than I’d seen it from before, one from which you could see the old foghorn which I hadn’t realised was there before. When I’d been there previously it was a matter of driving up, parking, walking up to the lighthouse, taking some pictures and then going back to the car. There is no way to get around the outside of the wall so there seemed nowhere else to go.
As we approached the lighthouse a thick sea mist had appeared and it was looking unlikely that Joe the Drone would get a spin at this one. I quickly took a few pictures and we retreated to the car park to assess the situation. Thankfully the mist cleared and we set off with Joe flying above our heads. While Bob was working with Joe I set off along the coastal path, part of the Southern Upland Way, to get the panoramic view of the lighthouse, foghorn and the fantastic cliffs surrounding them.
A benefit of visiting at low tide as we did was that the remains of the bow of MV Craigantlet could be seen. The cargo ship was en route from Belfast to Liverpool when it was wrecked in February 1982 and thankfully the crew were saved after the keeper at Killantringan lighthouse raised the alarm.
Funnily enough, as the foghorn really started to come into view I heard the deep boom of a ship’s foghorn out to sea, an indication that it was still foggy out there at sea. It seemed like perfect timing and I enjoyed the views for a little longer before heading back to the car, not quite in time to miss the rain though! Joe had also done well and captured some nice shots, particularly closer in on the foghorn.
It was great to get back to these two and really explore their surrounding areas a bit more. It’s so easy to not make the most of these places when you are on a time limit with plenty more still to go on your list. It was good to be able to spend more time there without these constraints.
These lighthouses are the final two of this holiday. It’s been a long wait for them, but completely worth it. I’ve spent time with treasured family and friends, laughed a lot, got plenty of fresh air and exercise, and been to places I will never forget. 🙂
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