Rua Reidh lighthouse unusual accommodation at the forefront of Minch
Rua Reigh lighthouse offers the unique opportunity to realize your dream to stay at a real, working lighthouse that witnesses of the rich Scottish cultural heritage.
Standing 25 meters high Rubha Reidh was designed and built by David A Stevenson in 1912 to mark the entrance to Loch Ewe.
For over one hundred and fifty years, Robert Louis Stevenson and his descendants designed most of Scotland’s Lighthouses. Battling against the odds and the elements the Stevensons constructed wonders of engineering that have withstood the test of time – an amazing historical achievement.
The lighthouse is now fully automated, allowing the keeper’s house within the lighthouse compound to be converted to provide comfortable and homely accommodation with magnificent views out over the Minch to Skye and the Western Isles. Binoculars and maps are available for your use.
Watching otters and seals fishing along the lighthouse jetty
A track going east from the lighthouse leads to the Lighthouse Jetty which was built in 1910 to bring in materials and the workforce for building the Lighthouse. Access by sea was the main way of supplying the lighthouse until the late 1950s when the road was built. With patience and luck, it is not rare to observe otters or seals fishing or sun bathing along the jetty.
Rubha Reidh means in Gaelic point of flat rocks. Most of the rocks are sandstone, which is known to be the oldest in the world. They got formed in desert climate during the Precambrian period, and one can find easily fossilized evidence all around the lighthouse. Many archeologists are used to come in the area as well as marine biologists from the MBA in Plymouth, who come regularly to study survey species impacted by climate change.
A marine protected area is actually under decision at the Scottish parliament in order to protect this unique area and the precious marine ecosystems which live in the Celtic fringe.
Rua Reidh has offered guided walking in the Highlands for nearly 20 years and has become walking experts in this area with guides not only taking care of visitors’ safety but also having excellent local knowledge.
From the lighthouse and along the coast walls Whales, Dolphin, Basking Shark and Atlantic Seals can often be viewed when the sea is not too rough. The guide will help you to identify coastal plant life that clings precariously to steep cliffs as do nesting Fulmars, Shags and Kittiwakes. The moors are adorned with the flowers of the bog and heather providing cover for ground nesting Golden Plover and Red Grouse.
Other birds can sometimes be seen like the magnificent White Tailed Eagle, Skua, Red & Black Throated Divers and in autumn the tiny Storm Petrel is sometimes drawn towards the light as they return to their nests at night time!
