Bell Rock Lighthouse

Bell Rock Lighthouse is the world's oldest surviving lighthouse built on a rock in the North Sea. The rock was the scene of many shipwrecks, as it lies just below the surface of the sea for much of the time, though part comes above the surface at low tide and is visible for three to four hours. The rock is called Bell Rock, because of earlier attempts by monks to put a warning bell on to it. The bell lasted only one year.

The lighthouse was built by a Scottish engineer, Robert Stevenson, and was completed in 1810. It has some similarities to the earlier Eddystone Lighthouse, but also newer features, such as rotating lights, with alternating red and white lights.

Stevenson had three sons, and one of these, Thomas, was the father of Robert Louis Stevenson the writer.