East Coast

Place of the lighthouse

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.

Building of the Lighthouse

The history of Todhead Lighthouse dates back to the 8 November 1894 when the Board of Trade authorised the building of a lighthouse and a fog horn at Todhead. David Alan Stevenson, member of the Stevenson family, oversaw the building work being undertaken by John Mitchell & Sons of Edinburgh. The lighthouse is built as a circular entasised column with corbelled gallery and lantern dome. Ashlar bluestone fragments near the tower and buildings with exposed dressings.

The 3,000,000 candlelight power light had a range of 18 miles and flashed every 30 seconds and there are 48 stairs up to the top of Todhead Lighthouse. The foghorn would sound during foggy nights and when the Scottish haar rose until 1987. The fog signal was first used on the 28 April 1898.

Warning systems (Light, Fog horn, Radar Beacon)

The original Fresnel lens was manufactured by M. Henry Lepaute, Paris, and Messrs. Milne and Son Ltd, Edinburgh'. 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. In 1986 the lighthouse was automated and controlled from the headquarters of the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh

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.

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 vesselping 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. The optic system including machine with clockwork mechanism and lens were removed and donated to the National Museum of Scotland.

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.

Additional information

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

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