On December 1st 1787, the first modern lighthouse in Scotland was lit at Kinnaird Head Castle, Fraserburgh.
Kinnaird Head Lighthouse started off life as a giant lamp positioned on the roof of the castle. When structural problems began to appear, Robert Stevenson engineered a foundation, walls and a spiral staircase through the heart of the castle, completing construction in 1824. He even preserved the original castle structure, and with castles there are ghosts, this one is named Isobel.
Legend has it that her father drowned the girls secret lover by chaining him up to a rock in a nearby cave whilst a storm raised the water level : Horrified and distressed she ran to the Tower and flung herself off and onto the rocks below. The cave thereafter became known as The Piper’s Cave and the ghost of the piper can be heard playing for Isobel. Whenever a storm gathers up a ghostly figure can be seen wandering between the Castle and the Wine Tower – her appearance is said to warn people of imminent bad weather.
Back to the lighthouse and through its terrific hyper-radial lens, grateful seamen recognised Kinnaird Head Lighthouse by its white flash every 15 seconds, reaching a nominal range of 25 nautical miles. The lighthouse is still in perfect working order and is known to light the coast on very special occasions.
