Calvay lighthouse

Calvay lighthouse is a solar-powered minor light, or light beacon, built in 1985. It stands on a square concrete base and features a square aluminium open lattice tower that is 6 metres tall. The tower is topped with an open gallery that holds a small solar-powered lantern, and it has white glass-reinforced plastic panels on the three seaward sides—east, west, and north. The automatic LED lights flash white, red, and green every ten seconds, with a range of seven nautical miles for the white light and four nautical miles for both the red and green lights. Inside the aluminium lattice frame, there is a metal ladder leading up to the gallery, and solar panels are mounted on the southern side of the lighthouse.

Historically, in 1890, the West Highland Commission recommended improvements to navigation lights in the West Highlands and Islands to support trade, including the fishing industry. Their report advocated for a light on Calvay to mark the entrance to Loch Boisdale. The first light at Calvay was constructed in 1891, designed to be visible from the clifftop during the day. In 1985, the Northern Lighthouse Board replaced this original light with the current solar-powered lattice aluminium tower as part of a shift from older minor light designs to more modern gas-powered and solar-powered options aimed at reducing costs. A similar SPLAT lighthouse was also established in 1985 on the nearby island of Gasay (or Gasaigh).