Holy Isle Inner Lighthouse

Holy Isle Inner Lighthouse stands on the small Holy Isle off Arran in the Firth of Clyde. The 17-metre white tower with its black lantern marks the southern entrance to Lamlash Bay. It was designed by Charles and David Stevenson and lit in 1877. A green flash every three seconds guides vessels past Pillar Rock Point nearby. The island lies about 1 200 metres from Arran’s shore. The lighthouse is run by the Northern Lighthouse Board from Edinburgh. Since 1992 the island has belonged to the Tibetan Buddhist community of Samye Ling. Two former keepers’ houses are now private homes for monks and nuns. A walking trail leads from the ferry landing at Kingscross Point up to the tower. Regular boat services connect the island with Lamlash harbour on Arran. Visitors follow the path past the whitewashed buildings to the base of the cylinder tower. The black lantern sits on a narrow gallery above the white walls. From the site there are wide views across Lamlash Bay to Arran’s hills. The lighthouse marks the southern approach while Pillar Rock Point lies to the north-east. The contrast of the tower against the island’s green slopes draws the eye.