Inchkeith Lighthouse

The Inchkeith Lighthouse, built in 1803-4 by engineer Thomas Smith, stands on Inchkeith Island. It comprises a short, circular tower of painted ashlar, with a lantern set atop a two-storey base. The tower is topped by a crenellated parapet and string course. A projecting semicircular bay bears the inscription "....lighted on the 14th of September 1804...". A wheel stair within the tower provides access to the light and upper floors. Associated with the lighthouse are a series of single-storey ancillary buildings, one of which served as the lighthouse keepers' cottage. These buildings are enclosed by rubble boundary walls, incorporating a 50-yard stretch originating from a 16th-century fort (designated separately as SM3838).

The lighthouse’s construction involved removing nearly all remnants of a fort built by the French following their capture of the island from the English in 1549 and subsequent partial demolition in 1567. The original light was stationary; in 1815, a revolving light using seven lenses was installed. This light was later transferred to Cape Spear, Newfoundland, in 1835, after a dioptic lantern was installed in 1834. Further enhancements occurred in 1889 with the installation of an eight-lens system and new machinery. The light is now entirely automated.

The listing excludes the separately designated scheduled monument SM3838, relating to the remains of the fort. The statutory address was revised in 2018, previously encompassing the lighthouse, remains of the fort, and boundary walls.