Tod Head Lighthouse

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History
The lighthouse building is listed as being of Architectural/Historic interest.

The name Tod Head could be from Gaelic, Toedhadh, warm, simmering as in Tod Burn, ie the warm burn in West Lothian; but it is more likely to be from Tod, old Lowland Scots for Fox, ie Fox Head, known to have been used in 1170.

Board of Trade sanction to build a lighthouse and fog signal at Tod Head was given on 8 November 1894, the estimate for the work was as follows:-|

The building contractor was John Mitchell & Sons of Edinburgh	£ 4,828-3-9
Dioptric Apparatus, M Henry Lepante, Paris of 920 m/m radius of six sides and 180° of mirror, so designed as to show flashes in quick succession during a period of about 15 secs, followed by a period of darkness of about 15 secs, candlepower 42,500	£ 1,100-0-0
Lantern, Dove & Co, Edinburgh first order 12 ft in diameter 10'3" in Height	£ 980-0-0
Revolving machine and carriage, Milne & Sons machine of the ordinary clockwork type designed to make the apparatus revolve at a speed of one revolution in ½ minute, including fitting up of dioptric apparatus in lighthouse. Lamps including 5 wick burners	£ 80-0-0
Oil cisterns for engines and light	£ 135-0-0
Fog Signal Apparatus, Campbell Gas Engines Co 3 oil engines of 9 brake hp each with compressors, double note siren, trumpet, air receiver, piping etc so designed to give 3 blasts, low, high, low of 3 secs each in quick successions every 3 mins, at a pressure of 20lbs	£ 1,850-0-0
Call Bells electric	£ 65-0-0
Land	£ 155-0-0
	£ 9,878-0-0
Contingencies	£ 500-0-0
Total Estimates	£10,378-0-0

The light was first exhibited on 20 December 1897 and the fog signal came into operation on 28 April 1898.

There have been many changes since then. In 1973 the light was changed to a large wattage electric lamp installed in place of the paraffin vapour burner and the lens is driven by duplicate electric motors. The controls for these and the generator, which will start up if the mains fails, is housed in a new engine room. An electric foghorn was also installed and is controlled by a fog detector which will automatically cause the fog signal to sound when visibility falls below a certain range. This was discontinued in 1987.

The lighthouse was automated in 1988.

In January 2005, the three General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) of the UK and Ireland issued a consultation document following a joint review of Aids to Navigation of the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Review addressed the current and future requirements of national and international shipping and those of Mariners. Each Aid to Navigation - light, buoy or beacon - was studied in isolation, as well as in relation to the other Aids to Navigation in its vicinity. As a result of this review it was agreed to discontinue the light at Tod Head, which only served as a 'waypoint' rather than to mark a specific hazard. Tod Head was therefore permanently discontinued with effect from 11 July 2007.

It should be noted that at some sites the Northern Lighthouse Board have sold some redundant buildings within the lighthouse complex and are not responsible for the maintenance of these building.


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