Crammag Head Lighthouse

Crammag Head Lighthouse stands on a rugged headland about eight kilometres north-west of the Mull of Galloway in Dumfries and Galloway. The Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh manages it as part of Scotland’s coastal navigation system. The site was first lit in 1913 under the direction of engineer David Alan Stevenson. In 2009 a modern fibre-glass tower replaced the original structure. The new light rises seven metres above a concrete base and carries a white gallery around its lantern. The lighthouse marks a dangerous stretch of coast where shipping lanes converge. Its optic flashes every few seconds to guide vessels day and night. The identifier codes ARLHS: SCO-055, Admiralty A4608 and NGA 4812 help mariners confirm their position. The simple cylindrical form and white paint make the tower easy to spot from sea or shore. Visitors reach the lighthouse along a narrow road that ends at the cliff edge. A short path leads to the base of the tower where the gallery offers sweeping views over the Irish Sea. The surrounding cliffs drop steeply to the water, and seabirds circle against the wind. On clear days the Mull of Galloway lighthouse appears on the southern horizon.