Esha Ness Lighthouse

Far out on Shetland’s wild and windswept north west coast stands the dramatically situated Esha Ness Lighthouse.

Unlike the tall and round towers of many Stevenson lights, Esha Ness Lighthouse features a distinctive tapering square tower – one of the first of its kind in Scotland.

Perched high and exposed on top of 200-foot cliffs surrounded by crashing Atlantic waves, this white tower watches over one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in Shetland. Here, the land is carved into deep and narrow geos, impressive sea arches, and towering sea stacks.

Eshaness is located in Northmavine on the Shetland Mainland and is about an hour’s drive northwest from Lerwick. Though remote, it is well worth the journey and rewards every visitor with breathtaking views and a powerful sense of Shetland’s rugged beauty.

Lighting the way

The story of Esha Ness Lighthouse begins during the turbulent years of the First World War.

In 1915, a temporary light was constructed on the Eshaness peninsula to warn ships of the Ve Skerries – a group of small rocky islets eight and a half miles offshore. The light was quickly assembled in just two months using materials transported by pony and cart from Stenness, a former fishing station sheltered by Stenness Isle 1.5 miles south of Eshaness. The makeshift light was dismantled after World War One.

A few years later, a permanent lighthouse was commissioned. Between 1925 and 1929, David Alan Stevenson – a member of the famous Stevenson family who worked on 26 Scottish lighthouses throughout his career – oversaw the construction of Esha Ness Lighthouse. This would be the last Northern Lighthouse Board station designed by a Stevenson engineer.

Like its wartime predecessor, the new lighthouse’s mission was to keep vessels clear of the dangerous Ve Skerries. Despite this, tragedy still struck. Not long after its completion, the Aberdeen trawler Ben Doran was wrecked in the area, with claimed the lives of the full crew. In response, a dedicated light was later built on the Ve Skerries themselves in 1979, with Esha Ness serving as the operations base for its construction.

A distinctive design

Unlike the tall and round towers of many Stevenson lights, Esha Ness Lighthouse features a distinctive tapering square tower – one of the first of its kind in Scotland.

Standing 12 metres (39 feet) high, its square design was chosen to save costs, avoiding the need for specially curved fittings inside. The structure is made of concrete, as the local stone was deemed unsuitable for such an exposed site. The lighthouse’s bright white light flashes once every twelve seconds and can be seen up to 25 nautical miles (46 km) away.

Interestingly, before the lighthouse became automated in 1974, the lighthouse keeper’s accommodation beside the lighthouse was home to just a single keeper. This was unusual, as most lighthouses were manned by at least two but typically three lightkeepers.

A landscape shaped by fire and sea

The cliffs surrounding Esha Ness Lighthouse are among the most striking in Shetland, and perhaps even in all of the UK.

Eshaness forms part of the UNESCO Shetland Geopark, recognised since 2009 for its exceptional geological diversity. The peninsula tells the story of a long-extinct volcano that erupted around 350-400 million years ago, when Shetland lay near the equator. The cliffs here slice through the volcano’s flank, revealing ancient lava flows and layers of volcanic ash, described by geologists as “the best section through the flank of a volcano in the British Isles”.

Despite its remote setting, the area is surprisingly accessible. A well-trodden path leads from the car park along the cliffs, offering a variety of routes, including a popular 6 km circular walk to the Grind o da Navir – a dramatic, amphitheatre-like chasm carved from pink volcanic rock.

Other highlights along the coastline include Calder’s Geo, a deep rocky inlet said to contain the largest sea cave in the UK, and the Hol’s o’ Scraada, a 150-metre-long, partially collapsed sea cave. From here, a stream leads inland to the Loch of Houlland, where the ruins of a 2,000-year-old Iron Age broch stand on a small promontory jutting into the loch.

Visiting Esha Ness

Esha Ness Lighthouse may be automated and closed to the public, but the surrounding landscape offers plenty to explore.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll feel the full force of Shetland’s coastline – wind in your hair, waves crashing below and seabirds wheeling above the cliffs. On a calm day, the views stretch across St Magnus Bay; while in stormier weather, watching the power of the Atlantic crashing into the cliffs provides an unforgettable spectacle.

Whether you’re drawn by history, geology, or simply the thrill of standing at what feels like the edge of the world, Esha Ness is a must-visit location whilst you are exploring the Shetland Islands.

By Amy Leith
Born and raised in Aberdeen with an admiration for Orkney and Shetland, loves to travel and visit new places, enjoys cooking, always listening to music, spends a little too much time on TikTok.

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