Butt of Lewis Lighthouse, Outer Hebrides
The Butt of Lewis Lighthouse stands on the exposed and wild coast of Lewis and is buffeted by the storms of the North Atlantic. The Butt of Lewis is the most northerly tip of the Outer Hebrides and unsurprisingly features in the Guinness Book of Records for being the windiest place in the UK. To the north, it is a straight run to the Arctic and to the West, nothing stands between the rocks and the coast of Northern Canada.
Butt Of Lewis
This remote location is a rugged and wild landscape. The Butt of Lewis is a collection of rocks and sea stacks with cliffs that rise 20-30 metres above the boiling sea below. Even on a calm day, the water smashes into the rocks and the wind howls across the cliff tops. The cliffs have amazing folded structures and are covered in nesting sea birds, soaring high into the sky on the thermocline. In storms, the cliffs are buffeted by the Atlantic swell and it has been known to find a fish or two on the cliff tops.
Lighthouse History
This lighthouse was built by David and Thomas Stevenson between 1859 and 1862. It was a challenge as roads were small and all the red bricks were brought in by sea. The sandy beach nearby at Port Stoth became the landing stage for the materials. Sheltered from the wild weather it was close enough to move materials easily. Building the lighthouse was not easy. One of the ships carrying materials was wrecked on the rocks below the lighthouse. Shortly afterwards the spiral staircase builder went on strike, delaying work further. Even as late as 1960 the lighthouse was supplied by sea. It was also the communications relay for the lighthouse on the Flannan Islands further out to the west of the Isle of Lewis. Even today it remains part of the systems supporting the more remote lighthouses.
Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
The lighthouse is 37m high and is built of red bricks. This is quite unusual as most UK lighthouses are painted white. The light, installed in 1905 flashes white every 5 seconds although it may have been a fixed light before this date. The light ran on paraffin until 1976 when electricity reached the lighthouse. The lighthouse was manned by three keepers who lived in the cottages with their families until it was automated in 1998.
Exploring around the Butt of Lewis
The whole area has stunning places for photography but the lighthouse and beaches are the main stops for photographs in this remote and wild part of Lewis.
Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
The lighthouse is in a stunning location and lends itself perfectly to sunset shots with the sun setting in the west. It looks fantastic in silhouette against the setting sun. Care should be taken in this location when the wind is howling or there is a storm. The waves will break over the cliffs and with no protection it is easy to drift with the wind!
From the parking at the lighthouse, the first location to photograph the lighthouse and the cliffs is to the east. Here there is a maze of nooks and crannies with random rocks and sea stacks. Immediately below the lighthouse are two large sea stacks. These are the most northerly pieces of rock of the Outer Hebrides and can make for dramatic images with large seas.
Further along, the cliffs become steeper but less convoluted. Their soft moss-covered jars with the sudden dark cliffs and dark ocean below. From here the lighthouse blends into the vast landscape.
To the west, the cliffs continue to Roinn a ‘Roidh, the western point of the headland. All along this cliff top, there are stunning views of the cliffs and the lighthouse.
Port Stoth
This small cove is where the supplies for building the lighthouse were landed. It has a number of interesting features and is perfect for detailed intimate photographs. If you prefer landscape images then it is best seen from the grassy cliffs above the bay. A concrete slip remains and this is just covered at high tide making long exposure shots of the water breaking possible.
Eòropaidh Beach
Close to the Butt of Lewis is Eòropaidh Beach. This is soft and gentle in contrast to the harsh and wild landscape at the Butt of Lewis. Large dunes lead down to the vast expanse of beach. These show the softer side of Lewis
Port of Nis
Close to the beach and Butt of Lewis is Port of Nis. This is a harbour with a small beach. It is great for sunrise or in storms when the waves break over the harbour wall.
Visiting Butt of Lewis
The trip to the Isle of Lewis is an adventure in itself. The easiest way by road is a drive to Ullapool in the North West of Scotland. This is just over an hour’s drive from Inverness. From Ullapool, a ferry crossing with Calmac takes 3hours to Stornoway, the capital of the Isle of Lewis. It is then another 45-minute drive (28 miles) from Stornoway to Butt of Ness. The A857 takes you north and eventually, there will be a sign to Eòropaidh. within the village follow the road until it turns back on itself. At this point, there is a track that leads out to the lighthouse and Port Stoth. The Butt of Lewis lighthouse is about a mile from Eòropaidh.
There is a small amount of unmarked parking at the lighthouse, plenty for the number of visitors who make it this far north. The tower is sometimes open in the summer months but otherwise, there are wild walks along the cliffs. The cliffs are high and the paths are very close to the edges. The grass and moss can become slippery when wet and combined with high winds in a storm this area can be dangerous. This is not a place to come with those scared of heights or feral children.