The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lighthouse favourite
“Having lived in Montrose for over 40 years, it can be no surprise that my favourite lighthouse is the prominent white tower standing on Scurdie Ness” email Montrose Port Authority honorary archivist John Aitken.
“For close on a century and a half the tower has stood against the elements in peace and war as a sentinel to guide mariners in and out of Montrose port and along the coast between the Bell Rock and Girdleness.
“A petition from 74 local inhabitants in 1860 complained that strangers and regular users of the port, while running for shelter from certain directions in rough weather, had difficulty in seeing the leading lights above the rocky promontory of Scurdie Ness.
“These lights had been completed in 1819 on the advice of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses and their in-house engineer Robert Stevenson. The upper light is still in operation after two centuries of service while the lower light was demolished about 50 years ago possibly due to erosion of its foundations caused by the unstable nature of the sandy foreshore.
“Stone for the base of Scurdie Ness lighthouse came from a quarry in the Benholm area above St Cyrus.
“The tower is constructed of what was known as white bricks which came by sea from Alloa. An excess of bricks was used for housing in Ferryden towards the east end of the village.
“The lantern was first lit at 6 pm on March 1 1870 amid great revelry across the immediate area with four bonfires being lit on Rossie Island. A fifth was set alight out towards the lighthouse and apparently several old fishing boats were used as combustible material. Candles illuminated many windows in Ferryden and a procession also took place. Large crowds watched from the Sands across the South Esk.
“My lasting impressions of Scurdie Light are to see its tall tower with a backdrop of a sunrise, protruding above heavy seas, as an apparition through North Sea haar or catching it during a winter’s blizzard, not forgetting observing its welcoming beam through the hours of darkness.”