Bell Rock Lighthouse

Bell Rock Lighthouse was designed by engineer Robert Stevenson, with consulting engineer John Rennie, and constructed between 1808 and 1811. It is located on a half-tide complex of reefs and stands tall at 36 meters. The lighthouse features a curved, tapering masonry tower, with the base courses set into the rock. The lowest courses are made of Rubislaw granite, while the upper courses and lateral divisions are constructed from Carmyllie sandstone. The base is made of solid masonry, with interlocking ashlars secured with stone pegs between the courses.

The door cill, dating from 1809, is accessed by a bronze ladder, which is an early addition. A gallery at the doorway is also a later addition. The lantern platform is corbelled and features echinus moulding; it was extended in the 1960s using steel with welded brackets. An aluminum railing from the same period surrounds the platform, which has radio and television aerials attached. The gallery was built out in the southeast octant for a solar panel when the light was automated in 1988. The triangular-panel lantern has a copper dome and is now protected by bird protection set on a light framework.

The smooth taper of the tower is interrupted by concrete projections on the south, east, and west elevations, which house ventilation grilles for the generator room and battery room. Inside, the tower has six levels of accommodation, including an entrance chamber, salt-water lavatory, generator room, battery room, bedroom, and kitchen/living room. The rooms are separated by flat-vaulted floors made of dovetailed ashlar, and the roof of the kitchen/living room, which is at the base of the lantern platform, is similarly constructed but domed. The control room is located at the base of the lantern, and the glazed lantern space is complete, although there are no original fittings. Following a fire in 1987, gas-light aluminum hatches were inserted in the original openings between the chambers, and an aluminum ladder was bolted to the walls for communication between spaces. An acetylene light with a small triangular Fresnel optic was installed in 1988.

There are two walkways leading to landing places, both featuring cast or wrought-iron frames with cast-iron grid inserts. Some grids and one section of the frame have been replaced with steel.