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The lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, established in 1821, is the oldest lighthouse in the Shetland Islands, a part of Scotland. The light station is on a dramatic promontory at the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland, the largest of the islands and the fifth largest island in the British Isles. It was designed by Robert Stevenson, one of the most prolific and celebrated lighthouse engineers in the world. The tower is 56 feet tall, and the light is about 300 feet, or 91 meters, above the sea. Because Sumburgh Head is exposed to severe weather conditions, the walls of the lighthouse were built twice as thick as usual.

Sumburgh Head Light Station. Wikimedia Commons photo by Ronnie Robertson.

The station was automated in 1991 and the former keepers’ houses and the other buildings except for the lighthouse tower are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust. The Trust has renovated and restored the buildings to create a world-class visitor attraction.

Brian Johnson’s connection with Sumburgh Head Lighthouse goes back many years, beginning when he took a position as Supernumerary Assistant Keeper in 1969. Most of Brian’s lighthouse career was spent as a mechanical technician. He refurbished the foghorn at Sumburgh Head, and on special occasions visitors can watch as he expertly starts the diesel engine to sound the foghorn.

Brian Johnson (Shetland Amenity Trust)

Jane Outram first visited Shetland for three weeks and is still there 18 years later. She initially worked with the archaeological team of the Shetland Amenity Trust. When a position as a guide at Sumburgh Head became available in 2015, she jumped at the opportunity. Then, in 2019, she made the move to the site supervisor position.

Jane Outram (Museum of Scottish Lighthouses)

Here is the transcript of the interview:

JEREMY

D’ENTREMONT

I'm speaking today with Jane Outram and Brian Johnson, who

are associated with the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland, which is part of

Scotland. Thanks so much for joining me today, Jane and Brian. I really

appreciate it.

JANE OUTRAM

Thank you, it’s great to be here.

JEREMY

First of all, can you explain where the Shetland islands

are and where Sumburgh Head is?

JANE

Yes, of course. So Shetland is an archipelago of around

100  islands, 15 of which are inhabited.

And we are located approximately a hundred miles off the northern tip of

mainland Scotland and due west of Bergen in Norway. And Sumburgh Head is the

rocky headland at the southern tip of mainland Shetland. This is where the

North Sea meets the North Atlantic.

JEREMY

So how do people get to Shetland from mainland Scotland?

JANE

So there are two options for getting to Shetland. You can

take an overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which takes between 12 and 14 hours, or

you can fly. And there are several flights every day from Scottish airports,

including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness , and Aberdeen.

JEREMY

Okay. I was reading that the weather conditions at

Sumburgh Head can be very harsh. So what sort of weather do you get there?

JANE

Well, really, the weather here is no worse than any exposed headland in Northern Scotland. Lighthouses by their very nature and purpose tend to be situated in very exposed locations. And I'm often surprised that even on a windy day, how sheltered it can feel within the grounds of Sumburgh Head. But overall, it doesn't rain very much in Shetland. And we have mild winters with temperatures between five to ten degrees warmer than other places on the same latitude. And this is down to the influence of the Gulf Stream.

That's not to say that we don't get our fair share of wind here. Margaret Anderson, an assistant keeper's wife, told us that she could remember watching her husband, Leslie, on his hands and knees against the strength of the wind, trying to reach the tower. And Tommy Eunson, who was an occasional keeper at Sumburgh Head from 1968,