Most Westerly Point
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Ardnamurchan Lighthouse - Point of Ardnamurchan
Point of Ardnamurchan seen from the air
The Point of Ardnamurchan (Rubha Àird Nam Murchain) is situated at just under 6° 14' W. This makes it the most westerly point on the British mainland. It offers superb views on a clear day across to the inner and outer Hebrides.
Situated near the settlement of Kilchoan on the remote and rugged Ardnamurchan peninsula, the point is marked by the 36m high Ardnamurchan Lighthouse (Taigh Solais Aird Nam Murchain).
The lighthouse was built in 1849 using granite from the nearby Island of Mull. Although now completely automated, the tower remains fully operational and still plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of all passing ships.
The main keeper's buildings have now been converted into the Kingdom of Light Visitors Centre, where you can visit the tower and learn about the history and workings of lighthouses.
The lighthouse stands on a grey, coarsely crystalline rock called gabbro. It was formed from magma that had risen from deep within the Earth. It has the same composition as basalt, but because it cooled much more slowly within the Earth’s crust it developed bigger crystals.
This gabbro makes up much of the coast around the western tip of Ardnamurchan, as well as the hills to the south of Achosnich. It was once part of the chamber of magma that fed the second volcano to erupt on Ardnamurchan.
When the volcano stopped erupting, the magma remaining in the magma chamber cooled and crystallised slowly to form gabbro. We only see the gabbro today because more than 2km of rock has been eroded from the original volcano.
For more information about Ardnamurchan visit www.ardnamurchan.com
