Longstone Lighthouse

Longstone Lighthouse has been on our to-do list for years, but circumstances (mainly bad weather) have stopped us visiting. We finally got around to it in June 2024 and it was certainly worth the wait.

Longstone Island is part of the outer group of the fabulous Farne Islands, just a few miles from Seahouses Harbour and is a special place to visit. Not all of the islands are accessible as they are home to thousands of seabirds and seals, however, you can visit Inner Farne, Staple Island and Longstone Island.

I may have mentioned before that I absolutely love visiting the Farne Islands, but having never been inside the lighthouse I was quite excited about the trip. The boat we travelled on was based on the design of a coble boat, a traditional wooden fishing boat. This type of boat was similar to the one Grace Darling made her famous rescue in. (Minus the diesel engine of course)

The boat took around 45 minutes to reach Longstone Island and luckily the sea was pretty calm and the weather was nice and bright. We have been covered in waves on previous crossings, however, this time we were spared a soaking. On the way, a crew member talked about how the islands were made up, about the seabirds who have set up home here and Grace Darling's legacy. I might have missed a few facts though as we were sitting at the back of the boat and struggled to hear everything that was said. We were able to enjoy looking back at Seahouses and Bamburgh and could see right up to Holy Island during the crossing, so we could at least sit back and take in all the views.

There were no other people on the island when we arrived, so it was just the 20 of us on the boat free to explore. There were information boards on the four floors of the lighthouse telling us all about lighthouses and seabirds and on the third floor is Grace Darling's bedroom where she spotted the Forfarshire shipwreck. We spent around 30 minutes on the island and had a good mooch about taking plenty of photos.

The only boat company to land on Longstone Island is Golden Gate and you can book online here: Golden Gate Boat Trips. Places fill up quickly, as there is currently only one trip per day, so best to book ASAP. When we booked in June 2024, the trip was £25 per adult which includes entrance to the lighthouse. You also do not need to pay a National Trust landing fee on this island like you do on Inner Farne.

The lighthouse was completed in 1826, however, for many years previously there had been a need for a lighthouse on the islands. The lighthouses on Brownsman Island and Inner Farne proved insufficient in guiding ships past the rocks, and in the early 19th century many were wrecked in the area. This prompted Trinity House to build a new lighthouse on Longstone Island and it is still in use today. The lighthouse is painted in red and white stripes so that it also stands out against the sea and serves as a daymark during daylight hours.

Of course I have to mention the seabirds and seals which live on and around the islands. There is a huge grey seal colony which live there, though we only saw a couple on this trip - they must have been on their summer break. There were thousands of birds though and you are almost guaranteed to see Terns, Puffins, Razorbills, Kittiwake, Guillemots and Gannets. You may also be lucky enough to see some Dolphins which hang out in the North Sea. A fabulous day out.