Dry Store, Keepers' Houses, Low Lighthouse, Hoy Sound

The Low Lighthouse, with its associated sundial, was constructed in 1851 by Alan Stevenson. It comprises a circular lighthouse tower set within a rectangular courtyard, situated to the north of a single-storey, seven-bay keepers' accommodation block and associated stores.

The lighthouse tower is built of stugged sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. It features a wide cavetto band course below cast-iron railings around the lantern balcony. The keepers’ block is also of stugged sandstone ashlar with a blocking course. The massive, tapered door surrounds have a band course below a cavetto cornice.

The tower features a massive raised door surround with tapered pilasters, supporting a cavetto cornice with a shallow pediment to the south side at the first stage. There is a blocked window to the north at the first stage, and a boarded door to the south of the lantern. Small oculi are positioned around the lantern base, with triangular glazing to the lantern itself, all topped by a domed roof. The interior of the lighthouse was not inspected in 1998.

The east-facing principal elevation of the keepers’ accommodation block has a window in the central bay. Flanking bays have two-leaf boarded doors with small-pane fanlights. The rear elevation (west) has windows in recessed bays to the centre and raised bays to the outer left and right. The side elevations (north and south) are blank. To the south of the keepers’ accommodation are single-storey coal stores, with two evenly spaced boarded doors, set at right angles to a single bay dry store with a boarded door to the east.

The windows throughout are 12-pane timber sash and case. Tall, tapered stacks with a band course and cavetto cornice are arranged 2-4-2, and there are tall cans and cast-iron rainwater goods. The interior of the keepers’ accommodation was not inspected in 1998.

The courtyard is enclosed by a low stugged ashlar sandstone wall with a ridged ashlar cope, bordering a larger rectangular garden enclosed by a rubble wall. Square-plan gatepiers, constructed of stugged sandstone ashlar and corniced, flank the east side of the keepers’ accommodation. A store with boarded doors is incorporated into the garden wall to the south, and a cast-iron tapered and fluted sundial base is situated within the garden.