Ardnamurchan lighthouse, just not from the sea this time

One of the reasons for getting some wheels was to explore the area and all those places that you cannot easily get to using public transport. Around here that means everywhere - the buses run once a day and go to Fort William in the morning. So if you want to go west, you have to wait for it to return mid afternoon. Then the run back east to Salen is the following morning at around 07:50. Things are more than a little limited when you use the bus.

The drive to Ardnamurchan point was scenic and the lighthouse itself well worth visiting. When passing out to sea we felt that the natural grey looking granite finish was a bit sad compared to most of them that are painted white.

Well, close up the stone is a nice pinkish colour - it came from Mull. Apparently Stevenson the designer liked the colour and didn't want it painted - see our earlier post on the lighthouse at the top of Lewis / Harris island for another example. The walk / trek to the top of the tower (about 121 steps according to the lads who were counting them) is more than paid back by the views. The light itself had the original 1849 Fresnel lens replaced in the 1980s, but with some very low tech kit! The lamps are basically car headlight equivalents in two long bars, with smaller motorcycle sized ones at the ends. Replacements are kept in a box up there:

When we are out to sea at night we will think of those little 6 volt headlight things and how we can see then from 24 miles away. The captain's degree in physics should help him to understand that of course but it was a long long time ago.

Stevenson designed the lighthouse in Egyptian style for some strange reason - perhaps because he could and was spending someone else's money? This is reflected in the little image at the entrance to the tower, on the newel of the staircase:

The panorama across the islands from the top is way way better than you can capture by camera:

This is the most westerly place on the mainland of the UK. We passed the most westerly part of England several weeks ago - Land's End.

The old foghorn which is no longer in use starts to look a bit sad and unloved but it has a glorious shape:

The area around the lighthouse is very scenic and unspoiled - an old volcano crater and very few houses,  sheep,  phone boxes or roads.  We drove out to the beach at Senna but sadly the sun had gone in by then:

Still a good spot though and the lack of sun wasn't putting off the visitors or dogs enjoying the calm water and white sand. On the way back, you get to see the remains of the edge of the old volcano crater and a nice helpful sign explaining it all:

Luckily it is very very extinct.....