Update: 01-03-2025
Place of the lighthouse
Building of the Lighthouse
Warning systems (Light, Fog horn, Radar Beacon)
Gearless pedastal Sealed beam 3 Arrays
Operational status
Information about the lighthouse specific
Additional information
Point of Fethaland Lighthouse 1977. Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); three flashes every 15 s, white or red depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern, painted white. One of several modern lights built to guide tankers to the oil terminal at Sullom Voe near Firths Voe. Trabas has a photo by Kees Aalbersberg, and Google has a satellite view. The Isle of Fethaland (actually a narrow-necked peninsula, not an island) is the picturesque northern tip of Shetland Mainland. Located near the extreme tip of the peninsula, accessible by a hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Northern Lighthouse Board. ARLHS SCO-173; Admiralty A3817.5; NGA 3448. Fethaland is the most northerly point on Shetland’s Mainland. To get to the Point and its lighthouse, once again drive till the road ends and either follow the farm track or a coastal path (we went out by the former and back by the latter) before crossing onto an island via a spit of boulders and pebbles. Here, there are a dozen or so ruined fishing lodges used up until the early 20th century. On the way back, we visited the small churchyard of St Magnus with some unusual wooden grave “stones” – the one in the gallery below is for a two-year old boy who died in 1898.
LIGHTHOUSEACCOMMODATION Shore stations Photo: Patrick Tubby Point of Fethaland Lighthouse is located at the most northerly tip of mainland Shetland. Established in 1977 it was one of several lighthouses built for the Sullom Voe oil terminal tankers. Fethaland Lighthouse Photo: Patrick Tubby The road ends at Isbister, and from here a six-mile circular walk heads out to the Point of Fethaland. The views are spectacular, and the track passes a small bay with roofless stone cottages clustered around the beach. This settlement place was known as The Haaf, these were the Fethaland fishing cottages. The deep sea fishing settlement was once the busiest in Shetland, but the season was a short one, lasting between June to August. The cottage roofs were removed when the fishing was complete for the season to prevent further damage to the houses. They were then re-erected for the next fishing season. Point of Fethaland Photo: Patrick Tubby Further along the headland, the impressive minor light of Point of Fethaland comes into view. From the walk, other minor lights can be seen including Gruney and Muckle Holm.
