Lighthouse News

Used As Research Station

The Scottish Lighthouse at Cromarty on the Moray Firth, Chanonry Point, has been sold to the University of Aberdeen for continued use as a research station. The University has been using it as its base for work with seals, seabirds and dolphins since 1990. The lighthouse, built in 1846 by Alan Stevenson, of the famous lighthouse family, was discontinued by the Northern Lighthouse Board in 2006.

From the story at the BBC:

By R.J. Leaman

The emotional Russian-Ukrainian tug-of-war over 100 disputed lighthouses heated up this week, as Russia’s Black Sea Fleet arrested a group of Ukrainian bailiffs who were trying to take control of the lighthouse in Khersones, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian Crimean port of Sevastopol.

According to the Ukrainian Journal, the incident “dangerously escalates tensions between Ukraine and Russia whose relations are already at the lowest point since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991,” an event which left Russian naval bases located on Ukrainian territory and numbers of ethnic Russians living in Ukraine.

Plans For Lighthouses Include Microbreweries

Okay, so the name Lighthouse Ale is already taken, but that’s not stopping Nevada attorney and multi lighthouse owner Michael Gabriel. His latest announced plans for the three lighthouses he currently owns are to turn them into microbreweries and to sell the product locally. The lighthouses in question (so far) include Fourteen Foot Bank, Bloody Point and Borden Flats lighthouses, all on the East Coast. Gabriel announced his intention to purchase at least two more lights in New York Harbor to complete his little chain of lighthouse beers.

Television Star Says Keep Away From My Lighthouse

A British television star, Jeremy Clarkson, is waiting a decision in a case that has spanned over four yearsiafter he closed off a path that runs next to his lighthouse home. He and his wife purchased the Langness Lighthouse for £1.25 million in the Isle of Man four years ago, and since then has been subject to harassment by a group of walkers who are upset at not being able to get near to the lighthouse. The path was diverted by Clarkson when he bought the home and light in 2005 so he and his family would not have gawkers peeking in his window.

But No Public Access Likely

Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse, MA
Originally uploaded by LeKrizThe town of Rockport, MA, and the Thacher Island Association have been approved to become the proud owners of the Straitsmouth Lighthouse, under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, announced earlier this month. The Thacher Island Association already cares for the twin lights at Cape Ann, and have partnered with the town to oversee the maintenance of the new one. Unfortunately, because of its location, public access will be next to impossible at Straitsmouth, unlike the Twin Lights, which are open to the public.

Eastbourne Council Raised Prices For Road

All anyone has ever wanted was for Belle Tout Lighthouse, Sussex, UK, to be a bed and breakfast. When the Belle Tout trust was formed, that was their plan. When the lighthouse was snatched from under them by a private buyer, those were the ultimate plans by the new owner. But now, the Eastbourne Town Council has thrown a bit of a snag in the work. The price of an easement, to be exact, which has nearly tripled in price.

Scaffolding “Ruins Their Photos”

The Lighthouse - Repainting
Originally uploaded by Eye-rickIt had to happen. No sooner does the weather clear up and the painting begins at Peggys Cove Lighthouse, Nova Scotia, than the tourists (and even some residents) start complaining. In a story at the Chronicle Herald, business owners tell of the tourists visiting the famous lighthouse complaining that the work has ruined their photos. And some business owners think not enough is being done in the area, citing traffic concerns. Jo Beale, a resident of Peggys Cove, would like to see the street shut off to vehicles. “People who come can’t experience the tranquillity of Peggys Cove,” she said.

Wisconsin Lighthouse To Get New Paint

Although having received a new and shiny coat of paint in the fall of 2007, Wind Point Lighthouse (WI) is getting another one this year.  That’s because the paint job failed from the last time. According to a story in the Journal Times, this new paint job will covered under a warranty from Masonry Restoration, Inc. Visitors to this iconic lighthouse will have to hold off on taking the scenic pictures like the one by James Jordan at the left, at least for a little while.

Grand Plans For a Grand Lighthouse

Well, maybe not anytime in the near future, but those are the ultimate plans for Execution Rocks Lighthouse, in Long Island Sound, New York. Craig Morrison, president of Historically Significant Structures, announced the ultimate plan for the lighthouse during a recent media excursion out to the lighthouse. Morrison, an insurance agent and musician, estimated the cost of renovations will be more than $1.2 million and take over five years.

Underwater At Lighthouse

Toledo Lighthouse Society members and architects preparing to do restoration work found one of the presumed stolen boat ramps that disappeared from the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse this past April. As they dropped anchor in the waters next to the light, they hit something, and not the bottom. Divers from Toledo Fire and Rescue Operations and Jerusalem Township were in the area went in and found the 4 foot by 40 foot ramp that had been missing since April 11, slightly damaged but still in usable condition after some repairs. The ramp was thought to be removed for its aluminum content. The other 8 foot by 28 foot dock is still missing.