Pirates & Shipwrecks · Lighthouse, built 1807 to 1810
Bell Rock Lighthouse
Bell Rock (Inchcape), North Sea, off Arbroath, Scotland
What happened
Bell Rock is a dangerous reef in the North Sea, about 18 km off the coast of Scotland, that is covered by the sea at high tide. Between 1807 and 1810, workers built a stone lighthouse right on the rock, working only when the tide was low. Its light first shone on 1 February 1811.
Why it matters
It is the oldest surviving lighthouse in the world built on a rock in the open sea. It has warned ships away from the reef for more than 200 years.
What came next
Keepers lived in the tower and tended the light until 1988, when it became automatic. It is now watched remotely from Edinburgh.
Did you know?
According to legend, an abbot once hung a warning bell on the rock and a pirate stole it, which is how Bell Rock got its name.
Timeline
- 14th centuryAccording to legend, a warning bell is placed on the rock.
- 1807Work begins on the lighthouse.
- 1810The lighthouse tower is completed.
- 1 February 1811The light shines for the first time.
- 1988The lighthouse becomes automatic.