Fog horn memories

Anyone who accuses their partner of snoring like a fog horn will wish to visit the Corsewall Lighthouse on the Rhins Peninsula of Galloway to have a look at the real thing.

Today, everything is automated in lighthouses and the Corsewall Lighthouse is a fine boutique hotel, which has won many awards for its outstanding cuisine and ambiance.

However, the light is still working and a walk around the front of the building, above the jagged rocks below, finds a huge fog horn pointing out to sea. Corsewall is at the southern entrance to Loch Ryan, for centuries the major port for ships travelling to and from Ireland. Today the loch is as busy as ever, with huge modern ferries constantly moving in and out from bases at Stranraer, at the head of the loch, and Cairnryan, about half way up on the northern side. On a recent visit the weather was glorious, except down in Loch Ryan, which was wrapped in a fluffy blanket of sea fog. The lighthouse was similarly swaddled, but the old fog horn was not working. Apparently, modern navigational aids have made long-range fog horns largely unnecessary.

The light from the Corsewall Lighthouse first shone out in 1817. It was automated in 1994 and is now operated from Edinburgh. But local people still remember the lighthouse keepers and at least one is still around, efforts are being made to trace him to find out more about life in a Galloway lighthouse.

The four-star, owner-operated, hotel is set in 20 acres of grounds. The hotel's Range Rover will pick up guests from railway and bus stations in Stranraer, and there is no problem with vehicle access – head north of Kirkcolm. Pickups can also be arrange from Glasgow and Prestwick airports.
Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel, Corsewall Point, Kirkcolm, Stranraer, Scotland, DG9 0QG. Telephone 01776 853 220. www.lighthousehotel.co.uk. Among the items on a sample menu are: “Supreme of Wood Pigeon from the Craufurdland Estate pan eared and carved onto a nest of crisp salad leaves, served with a tangy tomato chutney and pink grapefruit segments; Roast Rack of Galloway Lamb, pan roasted and presented with a mint-scented gooseberry jelly glace; and Breast of Succulent World Renowned Goosnargh Duck, pan roasted and presented with a rich Cointreau and orange zest game jus.”