Chanonry Point Lighthouse
Chanonry Point Lighthouse stands at one of the most dramatically positioned spots on the Scottish Highlands coastline, perched at the tip of a narrow spit of land that juts out into the Beauly Firth, part of the Inner Moray Firth. The lighthouse marks a notoriously tight narrows between Chanonry Point on the Black Isle peninsula and Fort George on the opposite shore, where the firth squeezes to less than a mile wide and the currents run with surprising force. It is a working lighthouse that remains operational to this day, guiding vessels through what were historically treacherous waters, and it ranks among the most visited lighthouses in Scotland thanks in large part to what swims just offshore.
The lighthouse was built in 1846 and was the work of Alan Stevenson, uncle of the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson, and a member of the remarkable Stevenson engineering dynasty that designed the majority of Scotland's lighthouses during the nineteenth century. Alan Stevenson was also responsible for the celebrated Skerryvore lighthouse, and his work at Chanonry Point, while less dramatic in engineering terms, produced a handsome and sturdy structure that has endured with minimal alteration for nearly two centuries. The lighthouse tower itself is a classic white-painted round tower of modest height, attached to a keeper's cottage that has since been converted to private residential use, as is common with many Scottish lighthouses following the automation of the light in 1984.
The physical character of the site is striking in its simplicity and openness. The lighthouse and its attached buildings are brilliantly whitewashed, standing out vividly against the sky and the dark water of the firth. The surrounding grassy spit is flat and open, exposed to the prevailing winds that funnel through the narrows, and on blustery days the noise of wind and water is constant and invigorating. The shingle beach curves around on either side of the point, and at low tide a considerable expanse of stones and sand is revealed. On clear days the views across to Fort George and to Ardersier on the far shore are magnificent, and the mountains of the Cairngorms and the Black Isle hills form a backdrop that changes mood dramatically with the weather.
Chanonry Point is perhaps most famous in contemporary times as one of the finest — and most reliably productive — locations in all of Europe for watching wild bottlenose dolphins. The resident Moray Firth population of bottlenose dolphins, one of the most northerly populations in the world, regularly gather here to feed, drawn by the powerful tidal currents that concentrate fish near the narrows. Visitors who time their arrival to the incoming tide, particularly around two hours before high tide, have an exceptionally good chance of watching dolphins hunting, breaching, and occasionally leaping clear of the water just metres from the shore. This spectacle draws wildlife enthusiasts and photographers from across the country and beyond, and on summer weekends the shingle beach can become surprisingly busy with people lining up hopefully with binoculars and cameras.
The point also carries a much darker historical legend. It is said to be the site where Coinneach Odhar, the Brahan Seer, was burned to death in the late seventeenth century, condemned by the Countess of Seaforth after he made an unwelcome prophecy about her husband's infidelities. A memorial stone near the beach marks what tradition holds to be the spot of his execution. Whether the legend is entirely historical or partly embellished over time, it lends the location a genuinely eerie atmosphere, particularly in the long Highland twilight or on grey autumn days when the water is choppy and the wind carries the smell of salt and seaweed.
The surrounding area is rich in interest. The village of Fortrose lies just a short walk or drive to the east, and contains the atmospheric ruins of Fortrose Cathedral, a red sandstone medieval structure dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Black Isle itself, despite its name neither black nor technically an island but rather a fertile peninsula between the Beauly and Cromarty Firths, offers peaceful driving and cycling routes through farmland and forest. Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, is only about eleven miles to the southwest, making Chanonry Point an easy and rewarding excursion from the city.
Getting to Chanonry Point requires a car or bicycle for most visitors, as public transport connections are limited. The A832 runs along the Black Isle, and a minor road from Fortrose leads directly to a small car park at the end of the spit, close to the lighthouse. The road is single-track near the end and the car park is modest in size, so arriving early is advisable on summer weekends or during the school holidays. The site itself is freely accessible at all times of year, with no admission charge. Summer months bring the longest days and the most reliably calm weather, and the dolphins are active year-round, though sightings are never guaranteed. Warm and waterproof clothing is wise even in summer, as the exposed point can be considerably cooler and windier than inland.