Rua Reidh Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Rua Reidh Lighthouse stands close to the entrance to Loch Ewe
in Wester Ross
, Scotland.
in 1853. Building was started by his son, David Alan Stevenson
in 1908 and the light was first lit on 15 January 1912. The light came from a paraffin lamp, subsequently converted to electricity. The original Fresnel lens
is now in the nearby Gairloch Heritage Museum. The fog siren gave 4 blasts every 90 seconds. The fog siren was discontinued in 1980 as well as all the fog sirens in Scotland. The red fog siren trumpet,along with its clockwork timing mechanism were removed and were donated to the Gairloch heritage center and put on display. The siren's tower and engine room were partially demolished. All that is left is the first floor of the siren's tower and the front facarde of the engine room. The fog signal equipment was auctioned off and the pressurised air tanks were removed and sold for scrap.
To the north, a quay and ramp provided access from the sea at high tide. This was the only access for supplies until the road from Gairloch was built in 1962 and can still be seen. Paraffin was pumped from the quay and other goods were transported on a small trolley on rails.
The lighthouse is operating as a 4 star hostel Rua reidh light house web site
s and Atlantic Seal
s. Fulmar
s, European Shags and Kittiwake
s nest on the steep cliffs.
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
in Wester Ross
Wester Ross
is a western area of Ross and Cromarty in Scotland, notably containing the villages on the west coast such as:* Lochcarron* Applecross* Shieldaig* Torridon* Kinlochewe * * * Aultbea* Laide* Ullapool* Achiltibuie...
, Scotland.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse on Rubh'Re Point was first proposed by David StevensonDavid Stevenson (engineer)
David Stevenson FRSE FRSSA was a Scottish lighthouse designer, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, and helped found a great dynasty of lighthouse engineering.-Background:...
in 1853. Building was started by his son, David Alan Stevenson
David Alan Stevenson
David Alan Stevenson was a lighthouse engineer who built twenty six lighthouses in and around Scotland.Born into the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse engineers, son of David Stevenson, brother of Charles Stevenson, and nephew of Thomas Stevenson, he was educated at Edinburgh University...
in 1908 and the light was first lit on 15 January 1912. The light came from a paraffin lamp, subsequently converted to electricity. The original Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
is now in the nearby Gairloch Heritage Museum. The fog siren gave 4 blasts every 90 seconds. The fog siren was discontinued in 1980 as well as all the fog sirens in Scotland. The red fog siren trumpet,along with its clockwork timing mechanism were removed and were donated to the Gairloch heritage center and put on display. The siren's tower and engine room were partially demolished. All that is left is the first floor of the siren's tower and the front facarde of the engine room. The fog signal equipment was auctioned off and the pressurised air tanks were removed and sold for scrap.
To the north, a quay and ramp provided access from the sea at high tide. This was the only access for supplies until the road from Gairloch was built in 1962 and can still be seen. Paraffin was pumped from the quay and other goods were transported on a small trolley on rails.
Hostel
Since automation of the light in 1986, the adjacent accommodation is no longer required for keepers. It is run as a hostel and B&B. A small visitors' centre provides information on the history and wildlife of the area. Since 2004 the lighthouse has been protected as a category B listed building.The lighthouse is operating as a 4 star hostel Rua reidh light house web site
Wildlife
The sea around the point contains Basking sharkBasking shark
The basking shark is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan migratory species, found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder and has anatomical adaptations to filter feeding, such as a greatly enlarged...
s and Atlantic Seal
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
s. Fulmar
Fulmar
Fulmars are seabirds of the family Procellariidae. The family consists of two extant species and two that are extinct.-Taxonomy:As members of Procellaridae and then the order Procellariiformes, they share certain traits. First, they have nasal passages that attach to the upper bill called...
s, European Shags and Kittiwake
Kittiwake
The kittiwakes are two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake and the Red-legged Kittiwake . The epithets "Black-legged" and "Red-legged" are used to distinguish the two species in North America, but in Europe, where R...
s nest on the steep cliffs.