Scurdie Ness
Encyclopedia
Scurdie Ness is a headland located on the South side of the River South Esk
estuary, Montrose
, Angus
, Scotland
. The River leads from the North Sea
into Montrose Harbour and then into Montrose Basin
. The headland has also been referred to as Scurdy Ness, Montrose point or Montroseness. The word Scurdie is a local word for the volcanic rock
found there and Ness means a promontory, cape or headland. The coastline from Scurdie Ness to Rickle Craig has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI code 1351).
is located on the headland and has also been referred to as Montroseness Lighthouse. In 1867 the sea-faring community of Ferryden made representations to the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses to have a light established on Montrose Point due to the numerous shipwrecks and great loss of life along that coast. There are 11 wrecks recorded around the mouth of the estuary .
The lighthouse was built by David Stephenson
and Thomas Stevenson
and at 6pm on Tuesday 1 March 1870 the tower was lit for the first time. During World War II
the lighthouse was temporarily painted black so that it could not be used by the German bombers as a daytime reference point. The light was not illuminated except when requested by the Royal Navy
.
The lighthouse is a category B listed building of Architectural/Historic interest, Historical Scotland Building ID: 4958. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
- Canmore
ID: 36262
Originally the light characteristic was fixed white but in 1907 was changed to isophase white 60 seconds (ie, light 30 seconds, eclipse 30 seconds). Scurdie Ness lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in 1987 and now displays 3 white flashes separated by 2.5 seconds and repeated every 20 seconds. The light is 182,000 candlepower
and on a clear night can be seen for approximately 42 km.
The buildings within the grounds of the lighthouse are now privately owned. Cars are not allowed along the road leading from Ferryden to the lighthouse but it is a popular walk and sightings of seals
and dolphins
are not unusual. Whales
are sometimes seen in the area including rare sightings of Humpback Whales
(GCR) site. The Old Red Sandstone, lavas and associated sedimentary rocks found there are part of the Montrose Volcanic Formation. These rocks were formed around 410 million years ago from lava
being erupted from a volcano
lying to the north-east in the North Sea and known as the Montrose volcanic centre . Scurdie Ness is renowned for its Agates formed by fluids flowing through the lava and depositing silica in cavities. Agates can be found embedded in the lava or lying on the shoreline and in neighbouring fields. A collection of Agates from the Scurdie Ness area can be seen at the Montrose Museum
.
River South Esk
The South Esk is a river in Angus, Scotland. It goes past Brechin and enters the North Sea at Montrose Basin. It was noted in the 19th century.-References:...
estuary, Montrose
Montrose
-Places:Scotland* Montrose, AngusAustralia* Montrose, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart* Montrose, Victoria, a suburb of MelbourneCanada* Montrose, British Columbia* Montrose , neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta* Montrose No...
, Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The River leads from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
into Montrose Harbour and then into Montrose Basin
Montrose Basin
The Montrose Basin is part of the estuary of the South Esk forming a tidal basin near to the town of Montrose, Angus, on the north-east coast of Scotland....
. The headland has also been referred to as Scurdy Ness, Montrose point or Montroseness. The word Scurdie is a local word for the volcanic rock
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it is an igneous rock of volcanic origin...
found there and Ness means a promontory, cape or headland. The coastline from Scurdie Ness to Rickle Craig has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI code 1351).
Scurdie Ness Lighthouse
Scurdie Ness LighthouseLighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
is located on the headland and has also been referred to as Montroseness Lighthouse. In 1867 the sea-faring community of Ferryden made representations to the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses to have a light established on Montrose Point due to the numerous shipwrecks and great loss of life along that coast. There are 11 wrecks recorded around the mouth of the estuary .
The lighthouse was built by David Stephenson
David 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:...
and Thomas Stevenson
Thomas Stevenson
Thomas Stevenson PRSE MInstCE FRSSA FSAScot was a pioneering Scottish lighthouse designer and meteorologist, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, as well as the Stevenson screen used in meteorology...
and at 6pm on Tuesday 1 March 1870 the tower was lit for the first time. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the lighthouse was temporarily painted black so that it could not be used by the German bombers as a daytime reference point. The light was not illuminated except when requested by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
.
The lighthouse is a category B listed building of Architectural/Historic interest, Historical Scotland Building ID: 4958. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government 'sponsored' [financed and with oversight] through Historic Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government...
- Canmore
Canmore
Canmore may refer to:*CANMORE is a Scottish national online database of ancient monuments;*Canmore, Alberta, a town in Canada.*Malcolm III of Scotland, commonly known as Malcolm Canmore;*Malcolm IV of Scotland, also known as Malcolm Canmore;...
ID: 36262
Originally the light characteristic was fixed white but in 1907 was changed to isophase white 60 seconds (ie, light 30 seconds, eclipse 30 seconds). Scurdie Ness lighthouse was converted to automatic operation in 1987 and now displays 3 white flashes separated by 2.5 seconds and repeated every 20 seconds. The light is 182,000 candlepower
Candlepower
Candlepower is a now-obsolete unit which was used to express levels of light intensity in terms of the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents...
and on a clear night can be seen for approximately 42 km.
The buildings within the grounds of the lighthouse are now privately owned. Cars are not allowed along the road leading from Ferryden to the lighthouse but it is a popular walk and sightings of seals
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
and dolphins
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
are not unusual. Whales
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
are sometimes seen in the area including rare sightings of Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
Geology
Scurdie Ness is a Geological Conservation ReviewGeological Conservation Review
The Geological Conservation Review is produced by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee and is designed to identify those sites of national and international importance needed to show all the key scientific elements of the geological and geomorphological features of Britain...
(GCR) site. The Old Red Sandstone, lavas and associated sedimentary rocks found there are part of the Montrose Volcanic Formation. These rocks were formed around 410 million years ago from lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
being erupted from a volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
lying to the north-east in the North Sea and known as the Montrose volcanic centre . Scurdie Ness is renowned for its Agates formed by fluids flowing through the lava and depositing silica in cavities. Agates can be found embedded in the lava or lying on the shoreline and in neighbouring fields. A collection of Agates from the Scurdie Ness area can be seen at the Montrose Museum
Montrose Museum
Montrose Museum opened in 1842 in Montrose, Angus, Scotland. The museum came into being when in 1841 the Montrose Natural History and Antiquarian Society started a fund to expand its space; in order to house its curiosities and wonders ranging from geological and ethnographical artefacts to a...
.