Rubha Robhanais: The Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
A red-brick beacon stands against the tempestuous Atlantic, on the windiest site in the United Kingdom.
In 1862, work finished on a Hebridean lighthouse built to endure the gnarliest of weather conditions. One hundred and fifty years later it still protrudes defiantly, having withstood storms, gales, attack and automation.
The lighthouse was designed by David and Thomas Stevenson, uncle and father of the author Robert Louis Stevenson - who wrote that ‘when the lights come out along the shores of Scotland, I am proud to think that they burn more brightly for the genius of my father.’
In an area characterised by the influence of its Nordic past, it is possible to stand beside the lighthouse and imagine sea-faring adventure; straight sailing north leads to the Arctic, straight sailing west lie the shores of Vinland.
Know Before You Go
Take the Lighthouse access road from Eoropie. Alternatively you can walk the coastal cliffs to the lighthouse.
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