Lighthouses · Scottish Islands
Cantick Head Lighthouse
In or near St Margaret's Hope.
Cantick Head Lighthouse — lighthouse in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Cantick Head Lighthouse is located in the Scottish Islands, and there is no nearest railway station or postcode available. Admission is free.
About
Cantick Head Lighthouse is a working or historic lighthouse on the United Kingdom coast. Records date its origin to 1858. Constructed primarily of stone. Heritage designation: category B listed building. Managed by Northern Lighthouse Board. Wikidata describes it as: "lighthouse in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 58.7871°, -3.1313°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Cantick Head Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse on the Scottish island of South Walls in the Orkney Islands. It is located at the end of Cantick Head, a long peninsula on the south-eastern coast of South Walls that overlooks the Pentland Firth and the Sound of Hoxa, which forms the southern entry to the natural harbour of Scapa Flow. South Walls is joined to the larger island of Hoy by a narrow causeway, allowing road access to the village of Longhope, Hackness and then the lighthouse further to the south-east.
From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Cantick Head Lighthouse is an active 19th century lighthouse on the Scottish island of South Walls in the Orkney Islands. It is located at the end of Cantick Head, a long peninsula on the south-eastern coast of South Walls that overlooks the Pentland Firth and the Sound of Hoxa, which forms the southern entry to the natural harbour of Scapa Flow. South Walls is joined to the larger island of Hoy by a narrow causeway, allowing road access to the village of Longhope, Hackness and then the lighthouse further to the south-east.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The need for the lighthouse was first raised by the Northern Lights Commissioners in 1854 and was quickly approved, but delays in agreeing the details for the light and that of the buildings meant that construction did not start until two years later in 1856. The design and construction was overseen by the notable lighthouse engineers Thomas and David Stevenson. The light first entered service in 1858, and consists of a 22 m high cylinder-shaped tower, which is painted white. It supports a single gallery and a lantern with a black cupola. Adjacent to the tower are a set of keeper's cottages and subsidiary buildings, bounded by a walled compound containing a sundial. A principal keeper's…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 58.7871, -3.1313
- Address
- South Walls<br>Orkney<br>Scotland
- Established
- 1858
Sources
- wikidata: Q17829260 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Cantick Head Lighthouse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Cantick Head Lighthouse 02.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Kirk Hope
Mountains & hills · 0.8 km
Green Hill of Hestigeo Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.0 km
Green Hill of Hestigeo Broch
Archaeological sites · 1.0 km
Green Hill of Scarton, Settlement
Archaeological sites · 1.1 km
Moodie Mausoleum
Follies · 1.3 km
Longhope Lifeboat Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 1.3 km
Hackness Martello Tower
Forts · 2.1 km
Switha
Islands · 2.1 km
Hackness Martello Tower and Battery
Museums · 2.3 km
The Battery
Natural landmarks · 2.3 km
South Walls
Islands · 2.8 km
Scat Wick
Mountains & hills · 3.2 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Cantick Head Lighthouse?
- Cantick Head Lighthouse is in the Scottish Islands, United Kingdom.
- What is Cantick Head Lighthouse?
- Cantick Head Lighthouse — lighthouse in Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK.
- How do I get to Cantick Head Lighthouse?
- Its coordinates are 58.7871°, -3.1313°.
- When was Cantick Head Lighthouse built?
- Built or established in 1858.
- Who runs Cantick Head Lighthouse?
- Cantick Head Lighthouse is operated by Northern Lighthouse Board.
- Is Cantick Head Lighthouse a listed building?
- Cantick Head Lighthouse is officially recognised as category B listed building listed.
- Is Cantick Head Lighthouse free to visit?
- Yes, Cantick Head Lighthouse is free to enter.