July 9, 2012

I’ll Take This: Lighthouse in Scotland

When I lived in the UK, I spent a week with my boss, driving around Scotland and then ending at her family’s home on a loch. It was early September, the weather was crystal clear and had a slight chill to it and it was then that I first saw the Northern Lights. I immediately recognized this lighthouse when I saw it listed in the Guardian, because it was across the Firth of Clyde from where we stayed.lighthouse4

While we were there, we walked along the shore, and watched the ships and ferries come and go, something that we were not used to seeing on the treacherous Bristol Channel where we worked. lighthouse2This area had the advantage of having both water and mountain views, and they are very dramatic at many times during the day, depending on the weather and the light.

Lighthouse Cottage was at one time the principal keeper's cottage for Toward Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built by Robert Stevenson for the Cumbrae Lighthouse Trust and completed in 1812. It is the tallest of three Stevenson lighthouses on the Clyde.lighthouse1

Naturally, the weather is not always this stunning, and when the days draw in late in the fall, it would be wonderful to sit in front of this fire, lighthouse5with the dramatic views on the other side of the room.lighthouse6

Want to join me?

30 comments:

  1. Wait the foghorn house is not for sale. Access to the fog horn on foggy days --well-- are ear plugs included in the transaction? S. Holmes

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    1. i am not sure if this lighthouse has been decomissioned or not.

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  2. "Naturally, the weather is not always this stunning..." er, I think that would be considerably more than 50% of the time! Sadly this year's summer is proving to be as big a wash out as last year's. The West is also much wetter than the rest, (if that's possible)!

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    1. i heard from my ex-housemate and he said that it's just been miserable. hope it clears for the olympics!

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  3. Beautiful! My favourite time of year to be in Scotland is September/October :O) I was there for a week...2 months ago...and I'm still homesick!

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  4. Oh it would be an adventure I'd love!

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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    1. It does, but i have to say that scotland in the winter can be pretty miserable. the weather, along with the very short days, can be very trying.

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  6. Some lovely pictures...yes...I will go with you!

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  7. How beautiful + count me in to stay. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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    1. I can only imagine this place in the winter though. brrrrrr

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  8. I think the UK is so charming....visit twice a year. I've only been to England and Wales, but Scotland is next. The typography and settings are incredible, from what I've seen. I love gray and drizzly days, so no worries.
    Cheers,
    Loi

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    1. The drive around Scotland was magical. We'd just finished a big conference, and then had a week before heading for a week of work on a project in Paris, so it was great to be able to see Scotland through a native's eyes.

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  9. What great photos - did you take them? One time, my husband and I were wandering around on the New Hampshire seacoast and found a WWII signal tower (I think that's what it was). We imagined how we could turn it into a home, and must have been speaking louder than we thought because as we walked back down the road, a woman in her yard angrily told us that it was not for sale. I feel kinda sheepish even now.
    ps I'm really enjoying your blog, I remember hearing about it from Elizabeth from Strawberries in Paris ages ago but only took a look today.
    -Whitney

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  10. Never been to the land of my forefathers (well some of them).It looks wonderful,I love the way the lighthouse is so sturdy and practical looking. It reminds me of Macquarie Lighthouse in Sydney.

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    1. I wonder if this light and the one at Macquarie are of a similar age?

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    2. No not quite, the current Macquaire lightouse was built in the 1880s replacing one built in the time of Governor Macquaire in 1818, 30 years after the first fleet arrived n 1788.

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  11. If you would like to get this for me for Christmas that would be okay. Really, really okay.

    It is fabulous, we are both freaks for lighthouses, so if you aren't buying it for me, it's okay should you just want to hire me as a less-than-minimum-wage-aide-and-assistant to work for you here, I'm in.
    tp

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  12. I love Scotland and Ireland. Magnificent scenery, magnificent culture. Too bad I'll never see either country again.

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