The Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust (NLHT) is a registered charity. It was formed in 2009 and is dedicated to preserving our lighthouse heritage. Find out more about the projects we have supported and how to apply for funding for your own project.

HERITAGE TRUST OBJECTIVES

Support research into the production of books, poems, music, paintings and articles
Support the production of books, poems, music, paintings and articles about the above work
Support the acquisition for public benefit, and the preservation, conservation and display of books, paintings, artefacts, charts and other relevant memorabilia about lighthouses and aids to navigation
Support public exhibitions of photographs, paintings, and memorabilia about the work of NLB and others in providing lighthouses and aids to navigation in Scotland and the Isle of Man
Support the conservation of lighthouse heritage including aids to navigation
Support the publication of packs for schools dealing with the history of lighthouses, the importance of the Scottish contribution to the development of lighthouses around the world, and the lives of those who worked for NLB and of their families
Encourage local children to have knowledge and understanding about their ‘local’ lighthouse and those who worked and lived there
Support and maintain a network of friends or associates of the Trust based on former employees and families of employees of the Northern Lighthouse Board
Through the network of friends or associates, to retain that history through writings and recordings and contributions from them of artefacts, letters and photographs
Promote scholarship and research into such history and thereby help promote the other activities of the Trust.

Charity number: SC040872 | Company number: SC365775

APPLY FOR FUNDING

We offer funding to projects that meet at least one of the Trust’s objectives. The Trust meets three times a year. We must receive your application form at least 10 days before the meetings.

The next meeting dates will be announced soon.

To apply, please complete the Application Form

If you have any questions, contact: Karen.Charleson@nlb.org.uk

FUNDED PROJECTS

Keepers of the Light by Flagstone Productions is the debut play by emerging playwright Izzie Gray and is based on the disappearance of the three Keepers from the Flannan Isles Lighthouse in 1900. The play toured venues throughout Scotland in 2022 and 2023.

Breasclete Community Association (Urras an Taighe. We gave financial assistance to help the Association establish their Flannan Isles museum. The Association have obtained copies of the original drawings of the Keeper’s cottages. They hope to buy these and return them to something approaching their original condition before relocating the museum into the building.)

Gairloch and District Heritage Museum. The museum is custodian of the original Rubha Reidh Lighthouse lense and is relocating to a new and much improved building. We agreed to help with new displays associated with the lens.

Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. We’re continuing to support the work of the museum which includes providing funds for displays and exhibitions. One area we’re looking at is how we could help with a permanent display area for a number of significant buoys that have recently been refurbished at NLB’s Oban depot.

Mull of Galloway Experience. We gave a donation towards the restoration of the Kelvin K2 engine and coupled Alley McLelland air compressor which hadn’t been used for 30 years. The restored Kelvin engines are fired up on Sundays for the public.

Isle of May Project. We gave a contribution to support the work to conserve the armorial panel.

Stevenson Drawings. We recently came into possession of a number of signed Stevenson original site drawings and sketches of various Pillar lights, some of which are beautifully detailed and very well preserved. We are currently arranging to have these scanned before they go to archive.

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

People in a boat

The Oral History Project is a large-scale fieldwork project undertaken by the School of History, Classics & Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh. The project involved recording the oral testimonies of former Lighthouse Keepers and their families who served with the Northern Lighthouse Board in Scotland. The third phase of the project focused on Northern Lighthouse Board staff based in Edinburgh. The collected material will be deposited in the School of Scottish Studies Archive, University of Edinburgh, for future researchers.

We completed an exciting stage of the project in 2024 with the launch of the film ‘Lighthouse Lives’. Using the oral history recordings, the 23 minute film captures the lived experiences of the people who worked for NLB, through a time of transition, from manned to automated lighthouses and incorporates the voices of staff past and present with archive film footage and photography. You can watch the film on our YouTube channel.

The final stage of the project was the launch of the book ‘Lighthouse Lives’ – Lighthouse Lives | Birlinn Ltd – Independent Scottish Publisher – buy books online

Listen to Paul Curry discussing his experience of working for the Northern Lighthouse Board.

MUSEUM OF SCOTTISH LIGHTHOUSES

We continue to support the work of the Museum at Fraserburgh, which includes providing funding for displays and exhibitions. We’re currently looking at how we could help with a permanent display area for a number of significant buoys that were refurbished at our Oban depot. We are also undertaking some research into the history of a number of surviving very old conical riveted buoys.

lighthousemuseum.org.uk

PUBLICATIONS

Scottish and Manx Lighthouses

Following a seven year journey around the Scottish coastline, the book brings together photographer Ian Cowe’s story, his spectacular images, and the story of the Stevenson lighthouse legacy.

Growing up in a seafaring community, Ian was never far from lighthouses and quickly developed a fascination for the buildings’ individual stories. In particular, those created by the iconic engineering dynasty. Travelling by foot, car, boat, plane and helicopter, his dedication has captured the lighthouses’ remoteness and exceptional natural beauty. The book takes you on a journey from St. Abb’s Head on the east coast of Scotland, visiting some of the remote islands in the British Isles, all the way round to Chicken Rock, just off the Isle of Man.

A second print of the book has been published in hardback and is available to buy from our online shop.

All proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Heritage Trust.

Rain squall on the Bell Rock by John Lowrie Morrison (Print)

Commissioned by the Northern Lighthouse Board in 2010 to commemorate the Bi Centenary of the lighting of the Bell Rock in 1811. The painting was completed from drawings and photographs done on a previous visit to the Bell Rock by the artist as a GSA student in 1968. The Princess Royal unveiled the painting at the launch of the 200 years celebrations at Holyrood Palace Edinburgh on 3rd February 2011.

The painting has been donated to the NLB and will hang in their headquarters in George St Edinburgh for a year then be passed on to Lighthouse Heritage Trust.

Prints of the painting are available to buy from our online shop.