© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland
Little Cumbrae lighthouse tower and associated buildings is a lighthouse complex on the island of Little Cumbrae in Bute, Scotland. The tower and its companion structures stand on bedrock composed of mafic lava and tuff of Dinantian age, volcanic rocks laid down during the Mississippian period and now weathered by centuries of exposure to the Firth of Clyde's maritime climate. This geological foundation of ancient extrusive volcanic material underpins the solid ground upon which the beacon was constructed.
The lighthouse complex represents the maritime infrastructure that guided vessels through one of Scotland's busiest coastal waterways. The tower, together with its associated keeper's buildings and ancillary structures, formed a self-contained navigational station serving commercial and fishing traffic in the Clyde estuary. The arrangement of buildings reflects the practical requirements of lighthouse operation, with accommodation for resident keepers essential to maintaining the light through all seasons and weather conditions.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM418, acknowledging its significance as part of Scotland's maritime heritage. The site remains an important landmark in the landscape of the Lower Clyde, where the volcanic geology of Little Cumbrae itself forms a distinctive geographical feature within the broader geological context of the region.
Little Cumbrae,lighthouse tower & associated buildings is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM418. View the official record →
Little Cumbrae lighthouse tower and associated buildings is a lighthouse complex on the island of Little Cumbrae in Bute, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM418.
Little Cumbrae,lighthouse tower & associated buildings is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM418.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Little Cumbrae Castle (1 km), Portencross Castle (4.1 km), Auld Hill,fort,Portencross (4.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Little Cumbrae,lighthouse tower & associated buildings's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Little Cumbrae,lighthouse tower & associated buildings stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Dinantian, bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.