MHG42332 - Cape Wrath

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

  • HOUSE (Undated)

Protected Status

Full Description

The Industrial Archaeology of Sutherland (A Scottish Highland Economy 1700-1900, pp. 61, 106-107) - Sinclair B Calder, 1974

J Aitken : 19/2/2004
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(Location cited as NC 259 747). Built 1827-8, engineer Robert Stevenson. A short tower of local granite on a semi-circular base, with a corbelled parapet.
J R Hume 1977.

The Cape Wrath lighthouse was built at a cost of ?14,000 with a reflector system which alternated a light of natural appearance with one tinged red. It was often obscured by fog of low cloud so that the construction of a new (low) light was begun; this involved the construction of a vertical shaft in the cliff to accommodate a lift, a covered way over the rocks with two connecting bridges, and a tower and foghorn house on the extreme end of the reef. Blasting and quarrying had begun and the shaft sunk to a depth of 50ft (15.2m) in June 1914 when work stopped 'for the duration' in the face of a disagreement with the contractor; it was never restarted.
R W Munro 1979.

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NC 2596 7473 (20m by 20m) (2 map features)
Map sheet NC27SE
Geographical Area SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish DURNESS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (2)

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