Two weeks late, my trip to Scotland

I started my trip to Scotland by flying in to Dyce, Abderdeen on a Friday. Saturday, I drove up to Fraserburgh, to see Kinnaird Head and the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. It was actually quite nice up there. Got some information about the strenuous life of lighthouse keepers and their families and some fresh air and glorious views out across the northeastern coast of Scotland.

It looks like the head of a giant C-3PO, but is really a lighthouse reflector.


The mechanics behind how a lighthouse functioned changed over time, and I understood little of it, what with being a bear of very little brain and all. But I believe at one point that lamps and mirrors were involved. And whale oil. Tons and tons of whale oil.


Fraserburg grew up around the castle of the Fraser family and the lighthouse - the first permanently maintained in all of Scotland - was first built on top of an existing castle structure in 1787. Later, when the roof started to give in, a separate tower was integrated with the castle.


The "new" lighthouse, with the fog horn. The siren for the horn was powered by air and the power to make it go WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA was created by some complex machinery that forced air through underground tunnels. Apparently, the whole town shook everytime it sounded.


The retired lamp & reflector of the lightouse today.


The nice little toon o' Fraserburgh.


This building, known as the Winehouse, is probably from the 1500s and no one is quite certain what it was used for.