Butt of Lewis
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 Map showing the location of the Butt of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
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The Butt of Lewis (Scottish Gaelic: Rubha Robhanais) is the most northerly point of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The headland, which lies in the North Atlantic, is frequently battered by heavy swells and storms.
[edit] Lighthouse
A lighthouse, which was designed by David Stevenson, was built on Butt of Lewis to aid shipping in the 1860s. The station is now completely automated. The nearest urban areas are in Ness about 2 miles to the south.
A modern differential GPS base station has now been sited on a nearby hill to further aid navigation. This hill was also the site for a Lloyd's Signal Station from the 1890's.
The road to the lighthouse passes a sheltered cove called Port Stoth. Agricultural lazy beds are also visible along the coast. The Butt of Lewis features some of the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in the Precambrian period up to 3000 million years ago[citation needed]. Following the coast south west from the lighthouse there is a natural arch called the "Eye of the Butt" (Scottish Gaelic: Sùil an Rubha). It can be best viewed from the Habost machair.
[edit] External links
- History of the Lighthouse from the Northern Lighthouse Board
- Panoramas of the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse (QuickTime required)
Coordinates: 58°30′57″N 6°15′37″W / 58.51579°N 6.26038°W
