(50) Whitehaven

Visited 3rd August 2010

This was the third lighthouse that I visited on this day in Cumbria and more significantly it was my 50th lighthouse overall.

Whitehaven is near the Sellafield Nuclear Plant and this lighthouse sits on west harbour entrance.

The harbour has undergone major regeneration and has really benefited from it; however this lighthouse whilst looking nice from a distance is in a bit of a state when you get up close to it.

(49) St. Bee's Head

Visited 3rd August 2010

(48) Maryport

Visited 3rd Aug 2010

(47) East Chop

Visited 20th June 2010

(46) Edgartown

Visited 19th June 2010.

I took this picture of this very nice lighthouse on my second visit to Martha’s Vineyard in 2010. Previously I had not visited the beautiful town of Edgartown and was very glad on this occasion to visit and enjoyed spending some time here.

Edgartown Harbor Light is one of five lights on Martha’s Vineyard. It stands at the entrance of Edgartown Harbor and Katama Bay. The light first shone here in 1828 and this structure was relocated here in 1939.

It was easy to find this light which is just a short walk from the heart of the town. Along the way you can see some typical stunning New England, large and grand houses. At the light you can walk all around it on the sandy beach that it sits on.

It is possible to climb to the top when the lighthouse is opened to the public.

(45) West Chop

Visited 18th June 2010

(44) Southerness

Visited 21st June 2010

After being on the North East coast of England in the morning I decided to visit one more lighthouse on my return home.

I chose Southerness a coastal village on the South West point of Scotland. Letting my sat-nav get me there was a long and tedious countdown of time and miles. This lighthouse is located at the very end of the road and its one very long journey.

When I drove into Southerness I found it pretty deserted, just rows of static caravans and a road that led to the beach where I found what I’d been driving to see – The lighthouse.

Built in 1749 it is one of Scotland’s oldest lighthouses, it’s unusual with its square shaped tower and is in desperate need of a coat of paint!

(43) Souter

Visited 21st May 2010

(42) St. Mary's

Visited 21st May 2010

(41) Shoreham

Visited 25th July 2009

(40) Beachy Head

Visited 25th July 2009

(39) Fisguard

Visited 19th June 2009

(38) Sherringham Point

Visited 18th June 2009

(37) Whiffen Spit

Visited 17th June 2009

(36) Race Rocks

Visited 16th June 2009

(35) Portlock Point

Visited 13th June

(34) Active Pass

Visited 13th June 2009

(33) Point Atkinson

Visited 12th June 2009

(32) Prospect Point

Visited 12th June 2009

(31) Cap Ferrat

Visited 9th May 2009

This is quite a stunning and exotic location – Cap Ferrat is a peninsula on the French Riviera in between Nice and Monaco and is home to the rich and famous.

This lighthouse took some finding, it’s visible from a distance, including Nice but when getting closer it was quite difficult to locate it in the residential streets.

I was pleased to find it thought, it’s a different and impressive looking lighthouse and my only French one so far.

(30) Cloch

Visited 10th Feb 2008

(29) Turnberry

Visited 10th Feb 2008

(28) Cape Coloumbine

Visited 19th Jan 2008

(27) Slangkop

Visited 18th Jan 2008

(26) Cape Point

Visited 18th Jan 2008

(25) Green Point

Visited 17th Jan 2008

(24) Pladda

Visited 27th July 2007

(23) Neist Point

Visited 8th Oct 2006

(22) Portland Head

Visited 26th June 2007

(21) Bass Harbor

Visited 24th June 2007

(20) Curtis Island

Visited 23rd June 2007

(19) Marshall Point

Visited 22nd June 2007

(18) Owl's Head

Visited 22nd June 2007.

My lighthouse awards...

Most stunning location... Beachy Head, England (right)

Most difficult to get to... St. Bees Head, Cumbria, England & The Needles

Cutest... Marshall Point, Maine, America

Best structure... Split Point & Hornby both in Australia

Ugliest... Cloch, Firth of Clyde, Scotland

(17) Pemaquid

First built in 1827, I visited 180 years later on 21st June 2007. It seemed a long journey to get to the tip of this peninsula. It was worth it though, the rocks that it sits on are stunning and attract many geologists to study them

This is the only lighthouse that I have been inside and to the top of, for no other reason than I am more attracted to the view of them, rather than from them. But I enjoyed my climb to the top and infact the whole visit to Pemaquid.

(16) Nubble

This is the first of seven lighthouses seen in one trip to Maine. There are a lot of lighthouses here but you're not falling over them you have to find them, which is half the fun.

This is Cape Neddick known as Nubble and if it is familiar then you've probably seen it in a guide book or an advert for Maine, it is one of it's most famous lighthouses.

It was a bit of a dull day when we visited on 20th June 2007. It's a really good spot though and a popular toursit attraction.

There's a bucket on a winch to get supplies from the island to the mainland, back in the 1960's the lighthouse keeper put his children in and winched them over so that they could go to school!

(15) Ardnamurchan Point

This is one of my favourite spots in Scotland. It's the most westerely point of mainland Britain and home to the most incredible scenery. Stunning beaches and coastlines, really remote.

The lighthouse was built in 1849. These pictures were taken on 29th April 2007. Luckilly every time I've been I've had excellent weather.

(14) Corran

This lighthouse was built in 1857 by Robert Louis Stephenson's father and Uncle. It is located near Fort William, Scotland, at the point where the ferry crosses to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.

Visited 28th April 2007.

(13) Split Point

One of my favourite lighthouses Split Point is located at Airey's Inlet on the Great Ocean Road, which is a stunning scienic drive in Victoria.

Helped by strong blue skies that you can see above when I visited on 13th Jan 2007 the tower looks like it has just been painted. You can walk all around it and get lots of different views, also you can see it from miles away it really stands out. The beaches around it are favourites for surfers and the whole area has a really good vibe about it.

I've added some different views of the lighthouse.

(12) Cape Otway

This is mainland Australia's oldest surviving lighthouse built in 1848.

For many of the immigrants that came to Australia from Europe around this time it would have been the first thing that they saw of their new home.

We started our drive along Victoria's Great Ocean Road at this point and I took this picture on 12th Jan 2007.

(11) Hornby

I'll never forget taking the picture of this lighthouse. It was on the Manly Ferry which you board from Circular Quay in Sydney. On the way to Manly, at about this point you hit the swell of the sea and there is strong movement on the ferry. I did however manage to capture the moment and take this beautiful lighthouse, like no other one that I've ever seen.

The red and white vertical strips making a change form the same pattern but usually in the horizontal design.


Hornby was built at the entrance of the world's greatest natural harbours in 1858, I took this picture on 9th Jan 2007.

This was to be the first of three lighthouses that I would see in this amazing country.

(10) Brockton Point

Taken on 24th June 2006 during my first visit to Vancouver, one of my favourite cities.

The first lighthouse here was built in 1890. Brockton Point sits in Stanley Park, I took this while cycling along the Sea Wall with it's incredible views.

(9) Start Point

Built in 1836 on Start Point, an exposed peninsula on the South Devon coast, to guide ships along the English Channel.

This is one of my favourite stretches of the UK's coastline and you can walk it on the South West Coast Path.

Start Point is near the picturesque town of Dartmouth.

I took this picture on the 8th June 2005.

(8) The Three Sisters

This is one of the most unusual sights. You visit Nauset Lighthouse and then take a path for a walk of about 5 minutes to see the original lights that Nauset replaced in 1923. They are the Three sisters, three small lights made out of wood. So this is a picture of one of thse decomissioned lights that sits in its retirement field just west of the replacement Nauset Light.

I first visited on 10th Sep 2004 and then again in June 2010 which is when I took this picture.

(7) Nauset

Another Cape Cod Lighthouse, this time in Eastham. I first visited it on 10th Sep 2004 and returned again in June 2010 which is when I took this picture.

It's a really nice lighthouse, traditional with the red and white stripes which is the picture on Cape Cod Potato Chips (crisps). It's next to cliffs and a beach that we spent time on. It was first built in 1877 and this tower was constructed in 1923. It replaced the Three Sisters wooden lights, more on them next at No.8.

This is one of those lighthouses that you can walk all around and get lots of different views of. I really like that and it's good to get different views of them.

A messy 50th!

Look at the state of this lighthouse, which from the distance looks nice. However, close up you can see that the seagulls have been attacking it! Anyway, it's the 50th lighthouse that I have seen on my travels - wonder if I will get to 100. It's Whitehaven in Cumbria, England. Taken Aug 2nd 2010.

50 Lighthouses

On August 3rd 2010 I visited 3 lighthouses in a day and took my total to grand total to 50. Here's a list of them with the date that I photographed them.

I will get the blog up to date with them all detailed very soon.

On the left is a picture of Edgartown Light on Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, US. One of my favourite lighthouses.

1. Smeaton’s Tower, Plymouth, England – 30/07/00
2. The Needles, Isle of Wight, England – 20/04/03
3. Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, US – 07/09/04
4. Nobska, Cape Cod, US – 08/09/04
5. Chatham, Cape Cod, US – 08/09/04
6. Highland, Cape Cod, US – 09/09/04
7. Nauset, Cape Cod, US – 10/09/04
8. Three Sisters, Cape Cod, US – 10/09/04
9. Start Point, Devon, England – 08/06/05
10. Brockton Point, Vancouver, Canada – 24/06/06
11. Hornby, Australia – 09/01/07
12. Cape Otway, Victoria, Australia – 12/01/07
13. Split Point, Victoria, Australia – 13/01/07
14. Corran, Near Fort William, Scotland – 28/04/07
15. Ardnamurchan Point, Scotland – 29/04/07
16. Nubble, Maine, US – 20/06/07
17. Pemaquid, Maine, US – 21/06/07
18. Owl’s Head, Maine, US – 22/06/07
19. Marshall Point, Maine, US – 22/06/07
20. Curtis Island, Maine, US – 23/06/07
21. Bass Harbor, Maine, US – 24/06/07
22. Portland Head, Maine, US – 26/06/07
23. Neist Point, Skye, Scotland – 08/10/06
24. Pladda, Arran, Scotland – 27/07/07
25. Green Point, Cape Town, South Africa 17/01/08
26. Cape Point, South Africa – 18/01/08
27. Slangkop, South Africa – 18/01/08
28. Cape Coloumbine, South Africa – 19/01/08
29. Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland – 10/02/08
30. Cloch, Fith of Clyde, Scotland – 10/02/08
31. Cap Ferrat, South of France – 09/05/09
32. Prospect Point, Vancouver, Canada -12/06/09
33. Point Atkinson, Vancouver, Canada – 12/06/09
34. Active Pass, Vancouver Island, Canada – 13/06/09
35. Portlock Point, Vancouver Island, Canada – 13/06/09
36. Race Rocks, Vancouver Island, Canada – 16/06/09
37. Whiffen Spit, Vancouver Island, Canada – 17/06/09
38. Sherringham Point, Vancouver Island – 18/06/09
39. Fisguard, Vancouver Island – 19/06/09
40. Beachy Head, Sussex, England – 25/07/09
41. Shoreham, Sussex, England – 25/07/09
42. St. Mary’s, Tyne & Wear, England – 21/05/10
43. Souter, Tyne & Wear, England – 21/05/10
44. Southerness, Dumfries, Scotland – 21/05/10
45. West Chop, Martha’s Vineyard, US – 18/06/10
46. Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, US – 19/16/10
47. East Chop, Martha’s Vineyard, US – 20/06/10
48. Maryport, Cumbria, England – 03/08/10
49. St. Bee’s Head, Cumbria England – 03/08/10
50. Whitehaven, Cumbria, England – 03/08/10