Butt of Lewis Lighthouse

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, designed by David Stevenson, was built at Butt of Lewis to aid shipping in the 1860s. Unusual for a lighthouse in Scotland, it is constructed of red brick, and is unpainted. The station was automated in 1998, one of the last to be converted. A modern differential GPS base station has now been sited on a nearby hill to further aid navigation. This hill was also the site for a Lloyd's Signal Station from the 1890s.

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
Rubha Robhanais

Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
Location	Butt of Lewis Lewis Outer Hebrides Scotland
OS grid	NB5197066483
Coordinates	58°30′55.7″N 6°15′39.2″W
Tower
Constructed	1862
Built by	David Stevenson
Construction	brick tower
Automated	1998
Height	37 metres (121 ft)
Shape	tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	brick unpainted tower, black lantern, ochre trim
Operator	Northern Lighthouse Board[1] [2]
Heritage	category A listed building
Light
Focal height	52 metres (171 ft)
Range	25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 5s.

The road to the lighthouse passes a sheltered cove called Port Stoth. Agricultural lazy beds are also visible along the coast. The Butt of Lewis features some of the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in the Precambrian period up to 3 billion years ago.^{[citation needed]} Following the coast southwest from the lighthouse there is a natural arch called the "Eye of the Butt" (Scottish Gaelic: Toll a’ Ròigh). It can be best viewed from the Habost machair.

See also

• Scotland portal
• Engineering portal

• List of lighthouses in Scotland
• List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
• List of Category A listed buildings in the Western Isles