Killantringan Lighthouse

Killantringan Lighthouse stands on a windswept headland near Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. Its name comes from the Gaelic for ‘St Ringan’s chapel’, linking it to the mediaeval saint Ninian. The tower rises beside a former keepers’ house, both built in the late 19th century. David Alan Stevenson designed the optic, which first flashed in 1900 to guide ships through the North Channel. A powerful fog signal was added to warn vessels in poor visibility. The light gave two quick flashes every thirty seconds, while the fog horn sounded three blasts every ninety seconds when needed. The lighthouse became automated in 1988 and the fog signal stopped the year before. In 2005 the General Lighthouse Authorities decided the light was no longer required as a waypoint. After decommissioning, both the tower and the keepers’ house passed into private hands. The lantern still turns, though now controlled remotely. The old engine room and fog signal building remain as silent witnesses to the station’s working life. Visitors can walk the cliff-top path and see the white-painted tower against the Irish Sea. A short track leads from the minor road to the lighthouse gate. The keepers’ house now serves as a private home, its garden facing the sea. The lantern room sits at the top of a short flight of stone steps inside the tower. From the headland there are wide views across the North Channel to the coast of Northern Ireland. On clear days the Isle of Man can be seen to the south. The site is quiet, with only the sound of waves and wind breaking the silence.