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Isle of Islay

Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse

Islay's oldest lighthouse, a Robert Stevenson tower of 1825 on the island of Orsay off Portnahaven.

Welcome

The Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse stands on Orsay, a small island off the south-western tip of Islay, opposite the villages of Portnahaven and Port Wemyss.

Engineered by Robert Stevenson of the Northern Lighthouse Board and first lit in 1825, it is Islay's oldest lighthouse and the most westerly of the seven round the island. The white tower is 29 metres tall and its light stands 46 metres above the sea.

The lighthouse is on an island and is not open to visitors, so you see it from the shore, across the water from Portnahaven and Port Wemyss. Seals gather on the rocks below it, and the Path of the Fisherman, the shoreline footpath in Port Wemyss, is one place to look for them. The light was automated on 31 March 1998 and flashes white every five seconds. There was a fishing settlement on Orsay as early as the 1300s, and the ruins of a chapel are still visible on the skyline to the north of the lighthouse.

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The Daily for 13 November, from Scotland with love. A waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks into a woodland pool, autumn leaves scattered on the water.
Close byAn Tigh SeinnseA traditional pub by the harbour in Portnahaven, serving homemade dishes and fresh local seafood, with takeaway coffees.3 min by roadSee itThe whitewashed front of An Tigh Seinnse in Portnahaven, its windows and door picked out in red.

Before you go

The lighthouse is on the island of Orsay and is seen from the shore at Portnahaven and Port Wemyss.

Where
On the island of Orsay, off Portnahaven at the south-western tip of Islay, opposite Portnahaven and Port Wemyss.
Open
Seen from the shore at any time. The lighthouse itself has no public access.
See it from
Portnahaven and Port Wemyss. The Path of the Fisherman, the shoreline footpath in Port Wemyss, looks across to the seals on Orsay.
Getting there
CalMac's ferry from Kennacraig sails to Port Askaig while Port Ellen is closed for upgrades (from 2 June 2026, expected to reopen in 2029). Or fly from Glasgow to Islay Airport. Argyll and Bute Council's 450 and 451 buses serve Portnahaven and do not run on Sundays; Traveline Scotland has the current times.
Access
The tower is not open to the public; you see it from the shore.

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Where it is

The island of Orsay, off Portnahaven, Rhinns of Islay.

Close byOff Portnahaven.
  1. The white cottages of Portnahaven round the head of the inlet, a small sandy beach below.PortnahavenA village of whitewashed cottages round a sheltered inlet at the tip of the Rhinns, where seals haul out.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. Lossit Bay from above, a crescent of pale sand between rocky headlands, surf rolling in.Lossit BayA remote crescent of golden sand backed by dunes on the wild west coast of the Rhinns of Islay.3 miles 8 min by road
  3. The drive up to An Gleann, a white cottage behind its gate and hedges.An Gleann TabletA cottage confectioner near Port Charlotte making tablet by hand, some of it with Islay and Jura malts.3 miles 6 min by road
  4. Port Charlotte HotelPort Charlotte HotelA small hotel by the beach in Port Charlotte, with sea-view rooms, seafood platters and live music in summer.7 miles 13 min by road
  5. Bruichladdich DistilleryBruichladdich DistilleryA Victorian distillery on the shore of Loch Indaal making Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte, Octomore and The Botanist gin, with tours from £15.9 miles 17 min by road
Directions
The whitewashed front of An Tigh Seinnse in Portnahaven, its windows and door picked out in red.RestaurantsAn Tigh Seinnse0.6 miles
The Kilchoman kiln with its pagoda roof beside the farm road.AttractionsKilchoman Distillery15 miles
Surf rolling onto the beach under a wide sky.AttractionsMachir Bay16 miles
Waves break over dark rocks and sand under a grey skyAttractionsSaligo Bay17 miles

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What we have written about it and more on Islay.

ArticleThe Quieter Side of IslayArticleThe Prettiest Villages in Scotland
More on Islay

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