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This famous and historic light station stands on the southernmost point of Scotland and at the northern end of the Irish Sea, marking the entrance to the North Channel. It is one of only two operational Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses open for climbing. It is located on top of a vertical cliff at the southern tip of the Rhins of Galloway, about 5 miles south of Drummore. It marks the south western tip of Scotland. It's as far South as you can go in Scotland, without falling off the 260ft cliffs. On a clear day, it is said you can see Cumbria, Ireland and the Isle of Man from the lighthouse. It was built in 1830, again by Robert Stevenson, and the lamps have changed several times over the years until in 1971 when it was converted to electric. The lamp units are light, produce a good beam for a very low power input and being sealed in a vacuum these do not deteriorate or tarnish, but the main advantage of this system is that it is almost fully automatic. The light keeper visited the light room hourly until 10pm and then did not have to go near it until extinguishing time the next morning, unless summoned by the alarm bell. The cleaning of the lighthouse was also easier with no lenses to polish. During the Second World War in 1944 a Beaufighter aircraft crashed into the lighthouse stores building. It was foggy at the time, and two men were killed as part of the roof of the store was blown off. It was demanned in 1988 and fully automated. The Mull of Galloway Visitor Centre The Visitor Centre is adjacent to the light station, and occupies a building that originally housed the workers building the lighthouse. A coffee shop was added to the site in 2004. The exhibition centre includes the former engine room, workshop and paraffin store at the lighthouse. Visitors can learn about the workings of the lighthouse, the working practices and lives of the keepers as well as being able to wander amongst the Kelvin Diesel engines (fitted 1955), which replaced the original paraffin Atlantic Engines. At weekends from Easter to October the Lighthouse tower is also open to visitors with guided tours taking you up the 115 steps. The view from the balcony and the light rooms is worth the climb. The former light keepers cottage, with views
across the Irish Sea is available for rent as a holiday cottage through the
Mull of
Galloway Trust.
The surrounding area is an
RSPB Reserve.
Meanwhile, the coastal heath of the cliff tops is also alive with wildlife, including rare basking butterflies in the summer, and more birds like the linnet and the stonechat. Take care on the cliff paths. The reserve is open at all times with the visitor facilities open from Easter to end of October, within the visitor centre you can see close up footage of the seabird colony. Other Nearby lighthouses are: Corsewall
Lighthouse
.
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