About Granton Lighthouse, Edinburgh

Commonly known as the ‘Granton Lighthouse’ this building is not only a rare survival but also one of the finest and most prominent remnants of Granton’s and Edinburgh’s rich Victorian maritime heritage. The building is a two-storey red brick warehouse topped with a distinctive lighthouse tower and was given category ‘C’ listed status in 1985 (reference: LB29925). Originally developed in the 1860s as the “Northern Lighthouse Stores and Buoy Yard”. Latterly it served as a depot for the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) from its creation until 2001, when it was converted into business space. From this depot, supplies were dispatched to the NLB’s many lighthouses around Scotland via vessels in the adjacent harbour. The lighthouse tower was used to test equipment, train lighthouse keepers, and experiment with different lighting techniques, with records of the engineer John Wigham being invited to the depot in 1869 to demonstrate a new lighting technique using gas as an illuminant. A Heritage Statement for Granton Lighthouse was produced by the conservation architects Simpson & Brown in September 2022 (this can be shared on request if of interest). The conservation statement reads, “The Granton Lighthouse complex has significant historic interest. It appears to be unique in Scotland, and possibly in the UK as a whole, as a historic lighthouse depot with training/experimental lantern, especially as it is mounted on top of the building itself: the lantern is an important survival. The buildings complex is illustrative of the way in which the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses operated, with a central workshops, stores and distribution centre for lighthouses and all their associated equipment and supplies (possible including victuals), and for buoys and navigation aids. These were essential for the safe passage of shipping, a major artery of trade and commerce, and for the national and international movement of people by ship. In particular the building illustrates how this process was managed with a resident storekeeper, an administration office, warehouse and workshops, all with vehicular access and located close to a harbour. It also illustrates how lighthouse-keepers were trained.” It further reads, “Historic interest is also derived from the use of the light, and/or an earlier temporary light on the same location, for experiments with electric and gas light, which were very important in the history of lighthouse technology in Scotland. The works of the Stevenson family have ensured that lighthouse architecture and engineering is a particularly important part of Scottish architectural heritage, and the lighthouse at Granton is illustrative of how developments in lighthouses were made. The development of the building and its eventual disuse also demonstrate how the needs of the Commissioners changed over the c.120 years that the building was used to support lighthouse operations. The stores are also part of the wider historical development of Granton, the creation of the harbour as well as its gradual falling out of heavy use, and the regeneration of the area.

Text from Kyle Drummond, City of Edinbugh Council - with thanks

Images - Google Maps