Fireworks get Bell Rock lighthouse's Year of the Light off to spectacular start

A rainbow of colours lit up the sky in Arbroath as people from across Angus and beyond turned out to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock lighthouse.

By Graeme Strachan
Published in the Courier : 02.02.11
Published online : 02.02.11 @ 10.53am

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David, Earl of Southesk — the patron of the Year of the Light — launched the display at Inchcape Park with a countdown to the official start of the 12-month programme of celebrations.

A giant, eight-metre firework in the shape of the lighthouse ensured it started with a bang and provided a fabulous opening to a display featuring thousands of fireworks.

It marked exactly 200 years since the first beam of light was emitted from the lighthouse and was accompanied by music from the days when the Bell Rock was first constructed.

John Boath (68), the last keeper of the Bell Rock, travelled from Edinburgh to attend and said the fireworks display brought back fond memories of his time on the oldest sea-washed lighthouse in the world.

"I think it's fantastic the people of Arbroath have got together to get this organised because some places would have let something like this drift by without even acknowledging it," he said.

"Because it's part of your working environment you don't really realise what a feature it was and it was only later that I began to realise what an achievement it was and I really got interested in it myself.

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"I used to walk around the rocks and be amazed at the achievement and even to this day when I come into Arbroath, as I'm coming down by the golf course, automatically my eyes veer towards the Bell Rock."

Councillor Donald Morrison said, "With more people likely to holiday at home this year, the Year of the Light is an excellent opportunity to put Arbroath in the spotlight as a major visitors' destination in Scotland."

Steering committee chairman Harry Simpson paid tribute to the efforts of everyone involved in marking the lighthouse milestone.

He said, "I was personally approached back in 2008 regarding the celebrations and it was January 2009 we put a committee together for the first time and had our first meetings.

"There have been lots of people involved through the whole of the two years and there's more and more coming on board as this year progresses."

The Year of the Light will also include a memorial to those who have lost their lives on the Bell Rock over the centuries.

Neighbourhood services convener Jim Millar said, "We've had an amazing amount of interest at all levels from across the world and I think everyone involved should be very proud about the part that they have played because it's a very exciting event.

"The Bell Rock lighthouse is an amazing feat of engineering and there is a huge amount of interest worldwide."