
The Douglas Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse near the city of Douglas, capitol of the Isle of Man. On a high cliff south east of the harbour. The Isle of Man is located between England and Ireland.
The name Douglas Head means Blackstream, (Dubh - black and Glais - stream). Some Manx claim that the name is derived from the two rivers, the Dubh and Glas, the black and the green from the Greu rivers.
There were originally two lights: one on the pier of the habour of Douglas, which had remain a harbour light and the second light was on Douglas Head. This light was at that time the only lighthouse between the Calf of Man and Point of Ayre, a distance of 65 kilometer (~ 40 NM). The first light on this site was established by the Isle of Man Harbour commissioners in 1832.
The lighthouse stopped exhibiting a light after 1850 and when the Northern Lighthouse Board assumed responsibility, it was demolished in April 1892. No trace are remain of the Douglas Head Lighthouse build by Robert Stevenson, at the entrance of Douglas Harbour.
In 1855 the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty petitioned the Commissioners (forerunner of the Northern Lighthouse Board) for a lighthouse - other than a harbor light - in Douglas Harbour. There was also a request from Mr Cabbin (presumably a member of the local harbor authority) to erect a lighthouse on Douglas Head.
Information in a parliamentary report indicated that a light did exist in Douglas, but for an unknown reason it had not been lit since the 1850s. Originally there were two lights: one on the pier, which was to remain a light source. harbor light and the second light on Douglas Head.
The lighthouse was replaced by a new tower built in 1857-59 by the sons of Robert Stevenson, David Lillie and Thomas Stevenson, with various buildings and a wall surround it.
The total elevation of the lighthouse is 32 meters above sea-level. The white tower is 20 meters in height and its base is at an elevation of 12 meters. The lighthouse staircase has 71 steps and the light has an average range of 24 nautical miles (44 km). The light was allegedly visible from Blackpool Tower, more than 100 km away across the Irish Sea.Lighthouse keepers of Douglas Head | ||||
Names with brackets (Year) indicates keeper was there - no other information available | ||||
Year | From Station | Keeper Name | To Station | Year |
J. Hall (1864) | ||||
G. Boreman (1864) | ||||
D. Douglas (1894) | ||||
P. Anderson | Stornaway | 1892 | ||
1892 | Stornoway | T. Sutherland | ||
W.J. Milne | Chicken Rock | 1894 | ||
1897 | Isle of May | J. Grierson | Dubh Artach | 1901 |
A. McGaw (1903) | ||||
1914 | J. Hislop | Chicken Rock | 1919 | |
A.W. MacDonald | Skervuile Rock | 1926 | ||
1926 | Bell Rock | A. Black | Start Point | 1931 |
1927 | T. Shaw | 1932 | ||
A. MacDonald | Douglas Head | 1932 | ||
J. Tulloch (1928) | ||||
1929 | Langness | G.L. Lauenson | Buchan Ness | 1935 |
1935 | Chicken Rock | A.Davidson | ||
J. Mackie | Retired | 1937 | ||
1937 | Flannan Isles | W. Beggs | ||
J. Sutherland (1937) | ||||
G. Combe | ||||
1943 | T.J.M. Hutchison | Mucckle Flugga | 1949 | |
R.R. Scott (1951) | ||||
1952 | A. Cormack | Deceased | 1956 | |
W. Hislop | Ailsa Craig | 1953 | ||
1953 | Rattray Head | J. Christian | ||
A. Coombe | Bell Rock | 1960 | ||
1960 | B. Sand | |||
L. Anderson | Calf of Man | 1974 | ||
1974 | Rattray Head | A. Hislop | Retired | 1977 |
1977 | SLK | J. Wilson | Skerryvore | 1981 |
J.B. Carruthers | Corsewall | 1974 | ||
1977 | Killantrigan | M.B. Pearson | Rhinns of Islay | 1981 |
1981 | Maughold Head | A.W. Crebben | Retired | 1986 |
1981 | Dunnet Head | A. Henderson | Sanda Island | 1984 |
Local ALK | ||||
1974 | P.C. Fletcher | Redundant | 1975 | |
Attendant | ||||
1986 | P. Fletcher | |||
J. Cowley | Redundant | 2004 | ||
Retained lighthouse Keeper | ||||
2004 | D. Fox |
The lighthouse, built in 1832 by the Port Commissioners of Douglas, was equipped with a fixed white light with 8 reflectors.
After the construction of the new tower it was fitted with a dioptric 2nd order flashing white light, with six flashes in rapid succession for a period of approximately 15 seconds, followed by a period of darkness of approximately 15 seconds.
This system was designed by Stevenson Civil engineers from Edinburgh and built by Messrs. Barbier et Cie. Paris and Messrs. Jas. Dove and Co.Edinburgh
The dioptric device consisted of a Change Brother concentric burner, with 4 wicks and a clock mechanism that had to be wound every 30 minutes. The original burner was replaced after 1903 by a 55 mm paraffin vapor burner.
In 1979, a 250 watt mercury vapor lamp was installed to replace the paraffin burner. The clockwork drive was retained at that time. The dioptic 2nd order lens gave a range of 26 miles.
On April 1, 1986 the lighthouse was automated and equipped with an AGA PRB21A Gearless drive + Sealed Beam array. The lighthouse also received its current character of Fl W 10s (a flash of 0.5 seconds followed by an eclipse of 9.5 seconds). When the Sealed Beam unit was fitted in 1986, the range was increased to 39 miles. The old lens has been transferred to the Manx Museum.
Some Douglas residents complained about the increased light intensity. Therefore, perspex screens were added to the side of the city, which weakened the intensity of the light. The range was reduced to 15 nautical miles, but as all four units (sealed beam) were still in bright light, the perspex screens were retained.
Since January 18, 2018, the lighthouse is equipped with Sealite Lanterns LED Type SL-300-1D5-2 with a nominal range of 15 nautical miles (~ 27 km)In 1908 a "Reed Type" fog signal came into use. All construction and operating costs including salary of a new second assistant keeper were borne by the Isle of Man Harbor Board. Later (before 1912), this fog signal, nicknamed "Moaning Minnie", was moved after complaints from locals.
In 1938 a new fog signal was installed at a cost of approximately £2,000 with annual maintenance costs of £300 paid by the Douglas Harbor Board. The Reavell compressors with bi-shaped fog diaphone that gave a signal every 20 seconds, were controlled by two Lister diesel engines (18/2 series) and ran on a paraffin/oil mixture (4 gallons of paraffin on ½ pint of oil). In 1975 the fog signal was discontinued and the PLK (including house and engine room) returned to the Isle of Man Harbor Board.


The lighthouse is fully automated since 1986, the light is monitored by the Northern Lighthouse Commissioners at their Northern Lighthouse Board Monitoring Centre in Edingbourgh. Initially after automatation an attendant from the Northern Board would visit the lighthouse on a fortnightly basis to test system procedures and the general physical condition of the building.
However, since September 2004, the Retained Lighthouse Keeper of the Isle of Man has replaced the attendant and visits now on a monthly basis. In addition, lighthouse technicians visit the Douglas Head Light once or twice annually to modify and update the system equipment if necessary.
Recently, a new public footpath was constructed by the Commissioners from the top of Port Skillion down to the Lighthouse for the benefit and enjoyment of tourists and sightseers.