AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Lighthouse odyssey house10/19/2023 ![]() The Neist Point Lighthouse was built in 1909 to guide ships around the straits that separate the Isle of Skye from the Outer Hebrides. Although many of the lighthouses have been renovated, the sound of the ocean is the same as it always was. They are living maritime museums where visitors can get a glimpse of what it was like for the keepers of the past, who often spent weeks at a time isolated in these places. All these lighthouses offer much more than a bed for the night and a wonderful view. ![]() I recently took an exhilarating trip to the far corners of the British mainland to visit some of these new hostelries - and was seduced each night by the sound of mighty waves almost crashing into the bedroom window. Now that automation largely has taken over, an increasing number are being turned into comfortable hotels or cozy bed-and-breakfast inns - ideal for the independent traveler. Many of the towering old structures were built in Victorian times and were manned by professional keepers for more than 100 years. So began my fascination with the country's historic lighthouses. With its wonderful mixture of sea, sky, rocks and grassland all around, the Neist Point Lighthouse is one of the most dramatic places in Britain. It had taken an hour to get there from the Scottish mainland, but it was well worth the journey. It stood atop a small cluster of buildings on the edge of a sheer cliff face, with the roaring Atlantic only a few yards beyond. More than half an hour later, having descended a punishingly steep row of steps built into a hillside and walked over another mini-mountain, I got my first glimpse of Neist Point Lighthouse's bright white tower. I followed her instructions, leaving the car at the end of a winding lane and setting off on foot on the narrow path ahead. On the island, at a small shop in the village of Glendale, the woman behind the counter pointed me in the right direction but said I still had a long way to go. During a short trip to the north of Scotland, I heard that there was a spectacular lighthouse at the most westerly edge of the Isle of Skye. My lighthouse tour of Great Britain actually began by accident.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |