July 15, 2008

Light fantastic

The Princess Royal has visited 80 of Scotland's lighthouses, but the British Isles as a whole offers many more delights for fans of this architecture

Longstone lighthouse — Longstone lighthouse, in the Farne Islands, Northumberland, or Outer Farne as it was originally known, is most famous for being the home of keeper's daughter Grace Darling, who in 1838 heroically assisted her father by rowing out and rescuing 13 survivors of the ship, SS Forfarshire Photograph: Christopher Cormack/Corbis

South Stack lighthouse — South Stack lighthouse, off Holyhead Island, Anglesey, north Wales, was first proposed in 1665, but did not come into operation until 1809 Photograph: Richard Klune/Corbis

Lighthouses of the British Isles — The construction of the Dubh Artach lighthouse in the Irish Sea, off the west coast of Scotland, was overseen by Robert Louis Stevenson's father and is thought to have inspired sections of his novel Kidnapped Photograph: Colin McPherson/Corbis

Lighthouses of the British Isles — The lighthouse on Holy Island, just off the coast of Arran, Scotland, was also constructed by the Stevenson family Photograph: Jason Hawkes/Corbis

Lighthouses of the British Isles — The Needles Lighthouse, on the most western point of the Isle of Wight, lights the rocky path up the Solent Photograph: Chris North/Corbis

St Mary's lighthouse — St Mary's lighthouse, north of Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear, has been decommissioned but is accessible to visitors during low tides Photograph: Richard Klune/Corbis

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