2nd October 1806

Start Point Lighthouse is an innovator

The lighthouse on the Orkney island of Start Point, a close neighbour of Sanday, was the first in Scotland to have a rotating light. Construction was completed on 2 October 1806 and, in 1915, it gained another distinction, becoming the only lighthouse in Scotland to have black and white vertical stripes painted from its base to the lantern. The lighthouse was constructed under the guidance of engineer Robert Stevenson and has a range of 19 nautical miles.

While Orkney’s Start Point lighthouse is administered by the Northern Lighthouse Board, it should not be mistaken for Start Point Lighthouse between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth on the English south coast, which is administered by Trinity House.