The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse welcomed visitors from Japan, on Saturday 28 June, to celebrate a landmark moment in international lighthouse collaboration. Mayumi Arita of the Japan Coastguard and Masataka Abe, Cultural Consul at the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburgh, visited the iconic lighthouse with Gillian Burns, Navigation Officer for the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Historic Agreement

The visit follows the signing of a historic agreement on 21 November 2024, officially twinning the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse with Japan’s Inubosaki Lighthouse. This agreement marks a significant milestone in lighthouse collaboration as it is the first ever lighthouse twinning agreement in the world.

During their visit, Ms Arita and Mr Abe were given a guided tour of the lighthouse by Retained Lightkeeper Barry Miller. They also experienced a live demonstration, without sound, of the historic fog signal engines by Alexander Peebles of the Mull of Galloway Trust.

Lighthouses of Japan and Scotland

The Inubosaki Lighthouse designed and built by Scottish engineer Richard Henry Brunton in 1874 served as the most important coastal lighthouse to support the safety of maritime traffic in the Pacific Ocean approaches, from and to Tokyo Bay, an important location for Japanese shipping industry and economy. Because of its practical importance as well as historical value, the Inubosaki Brunton Association was established by the local community to support the research of the lighthouse and to raise public awareness.

The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse was established in 1830 and engineered by Robert Stevenson whose sons David and Thomas helped prepare Brunton for his mission to Japan.  On 4 July 2013, the local community successfully bought the former lightkeepers cottages, engine room, foghorn and 30 acres of heathland at the Mull of Galloway, and the Mull of Galloway Trust was formed. The Northern Lighthouse Board still owns and operates the lighthouse tower.