Bell Rock Lighthouse - History

History

According to legend, the rock is called Bell Rock because of a 14th century attempt by the abbot from Arbroath to install a warning bell on it. The bell lasted only one year before it was stolen by a Dutch pirate. This story is immortalized in The Inchcape Rock, a famous poem by 19th century poet Robert Southey. The rock was the scene of many shipwrecks as it lies just below the surface of the sea for all but a few hours at low tide.

By the turn of the 18th century, it was estimated that the rocks were responsible for the wrecking of up to six ships every winter. In one storm alone, 70 ships were lost off the east coast of Scotland. The Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson had proposed the construction of a lighthouse on Bell Rock in 1799, but cost concerns and the relatively radical nature of his proposal caused it to be shelved. However, the loss of the warship HMS York and all on board in 1804 resulted in a furore in Parliament which eventually led to legislation being passed in 1806 enabling construction to begin.

The Northern Lighthouse Board awarded the contract to design and build to John Rennie, with Stevenson being appointed as chief assistant. The design was based on the earlier Eddystone Lighthouse designed by John Smeaton which Stevenson had inspected in 1801, and which was also built on an offshore reef using interlocking stones. It also contained newer features, such as rotating lights alternating between red and white designed by the carpenter Francis Watts. Stevenson was totally responsible for construction and his written account of the work gave little or no credit to Rennie. "The apportionment of responsibility for this work led to prolonged disputes between their respective descendants, but it is now certain that while Stevenson designed the lighthouse in the main, Rennie's role too was significant."