You might think that in today’s world, with navigation systems such as GPS, there would be no need for the lighthouse. You’d be wrong. There are around 250 still in operation today, acting as back-up systems, in case of electronic failure, and as vital visual markers.
At their peak, there were probably more than 400 lighthouses standing stoically along Britain’s coastline, from the oldest — a 2,000-year-old wonder at Dover Castle, which is the tallest and most complete standing Roman structure in the country — to the newest, a lighthouse at Dungeness built in the 1960s.
Historically, the majority of lighthouses were manned by lighthouse keepers, but their role became obsolete with the introduction of automated systems in the mid 20th century. However, in many instances, the lighthouse cottages which once housed the keepers have been converted into modern dwellings by enthusiasts and quirky property aficionados. And that brings us to the gorgeously located Bressay Lighthouse on the island of the same name in Shetland, a hundred miles and more beyond the northern coast of Scotland.
The Bressay lighthouse for sale with Savills for offers over £350,000, but its new owners are going to really want to live there (or really want to renovate and rent it out).
Even having an in-person viewing will be quite an undertaking. Unless you feel like braving the 12-14 hour ferry from Aberdeen, you’ll need to journey to Shetland by plane — which, from London, means changing planes — and then catch a ferry across to Bressay from Lerwick.
Thank goodness, then, for the internet, which can take you there with the mere click of a mouse, or the tap of a screen. You're welcome.
The lighthouse is designated as a Category B Listed Building.
As well as being arguably the most picturesque 'house' we've featured so far this year, the lighthouse comes with a pleasing story. It was built by brothers David and Thomas Stevenson — the father and uncle of writer Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island. David designed more than 30 Scottish lighthouses and was once asked by Isambard Kingdom Brunel to join his staff at the Thames Tunnel works (he could not accept the offer because he was employed elsewhere).
The lighthouse was automated in 1987 (an automatic 10-mile LED light flashes twice, every 20 seconds) and, since 1995, has been owned and managed by the Shetland Amenity Trust. The complex comprises the original, 16-metre, stone lighthouse tower, the former engine room — since converted into an artist’s studio — and two semi-detached, single-storey cottages, previously used as holiday lets.
In total, there are seven bedrooms, three bathrooms and three living spaces. Bressay’s new owners will likely want to dramatically modernise the interiors, but as it is designated as a Category B Listed Building, any work must follow the standards laid out by Historic Environment Scotland.
However, it’s on the outside where Bressay really shines (pun intended). The triangular site, enclosed by a low stone wall, faces south to south-west meaning excellent sunsets. It sits, quite obviously, on the waters edge, atop a natural stone arch that stretches outwards into the roiling sea.
Living there, on the brink of where two very different worlds meet, must surely feel like having one foot on land and the other in the water.
Bressay Lighthouse is for sale for in excess of £350,000 — see more pictures and details via Savills
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