Mull Of Galloway Lighthouse

Above the wild cliffs of the Mull of Galloway peninsula, you can find the impressive Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. It was built by Robert Stevenson, who commenced work in 1828, and was first lit on 26th March 1830. The Lighthouse is 26m high and the light itself is 99m above sea level, and can be seen from 28 nautical miles away.

Before entering the lighthouse, tickets must be purchased from the visitors centre which is housed in the former fuel store, engine room and workshop. The exhibition here contains a wealth of information including the history and life of operating the lighthouse.

You can also see the Fresnel Lens, which was previously in McArthur's Head Lighthouse, and is on loan from the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh.

When you leave the visitors centre, before entering the lighthouse, if you turn right, you can see the huge foghorn air storage tanks. There has been a foghorn here since 1894. The foghorn last sounded in November 1987, until after lengthy restoration work, when it was returned to working order in April 2018. Three diesel engines were required to produce enough compressed air necessary to create the desired sound.

There is also an exhibition on the ground floor of the lighthouse, one side providing a glimpse at some of the equipment through the ages, and the other shows a video and posters of the shipwrecks that have befallen the cliffs below.

Once you have visited the exhibition areas, the time has come to climb the 115 stairs to the Lantern Room.

Before reaching the Lantern Room, you will come to a floor that offers the opportunity to walk around the lighthouse on an external walkway. There is a low-headroom door that provides access. As I only have a head for heights on mountains, NOT manmade structures, I struggled with this, as did a few other visitors, but it is worth trying if you are brave enough.

After making haste up to the Lantern Room, I was rewarded with fantastic views over Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man and Cumbria, all you need is clear weather.

The original lens was made of brass and crystal and weighed 5 tons. It contained paraffin that was pumped through and lit by hand. In 1971 it was converted to a lamp powered by electricity and by 1988 the lighthouse became automatic and was monitored remotely.

Once you make you way down the stairs it is worth visiting the Lighthouse Keepers' garden.

If you walk around the outer wall of the Keepers' garden, you can visit the foghorn, although there are many steps to climb.

The cliffs are also a haven for a wide variety of seabirds, managed by the RSPB. The RSPB Mull of Galloway Visitors Centre is just behind the lighthouse. We went to visit, but it had closed by the time we made it there.

It is worth leaving some time to wander around the cliff paths, to get some fresh sea air, do a touch of bird spotting and enjoy the wonderful views.

The Gallie Craig Coffee House can be found at the opposite end of the car park to the lighthouse, and offers great food and fabulous views.

The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse has its own large car park, and the lighthouse is only a short stroll away.

Once you're done here, head over to the nearby Kennedy's Cairn.