Lighthouse Love - Neist Point (Isle of Skye)
I know I'm not alone in my affinity for lighthouses. l wonder if lighthouses only captivate introverts? Is it the solitude and isolation that underpins its appeal? I like to romanticise the job of a lighthouse keeper in the way that only someone who has never done the job could. Glossing over the manual labour and interrupted sleep patterns necessary to keep the light going (pre automation), instead dreaming of hunkering down under a pile of blankets beside the stove, quill in hand, watching the storms roll by. Daytime would be spent exploring the coastline, camera in hand. It helps that lighthouses are often located in the most beautiful, windswept locations of our coastline.
Neist Point Lighthouse is situated in the most westerly part of the island of Skye. Its light was automated in 1990, modern technology bringing to an end years of human involvement and maritime history. Whilst the lighthouse still gleams white and is maintained by the Northern Lighthouse Board, the lighthouse keepers accommodation, owned privately, has fallen into a state of disrepair, creating quite an ominous feeling for any visitor. Standing on the cliffs in front, the sea stretches out infinitesimally. If you were to set out from here on a boat, you would eventually land somewhere between Manhattan and Nova Scotia.
Keep an eye out for more lighthouse stories coming on the blog soon and if you have any recommendations for must visit lighthouses in Scotland, please let me know.
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