A five-figure restoration project has led the way for Angus museum visitors to put themselves in the shoes of maritime heroes of the past.
Arbroath’s Signal Tower was built as the shore station for the Bell Rock lighthouse sitting nearly 12 miles off the Angus town.
211 years on, Robert Stevenson’s 118-foot structure remains the world’s oldest sea-washed lighthouse still operating.
The Signal Tower has long since given up its role as the base for communicating with the keepers on Inchcape rock.
Instead it has been a museum for many years, telling the story of the Bell Rock and the Angus town’s rich heritage as a fishing port.
It was the first Angus museum to re-open with the easing of pandemic restrictions.
And now, visitors will be able to climb the 70 steps of the spiral staircase to the tower room overlooking the entrance to Arbroath harbour and the North Sea horizon beyond.
In the early days of operation, copper ball mechanisms on the top of both Signal Tower and lighthouse were used, in conjunction with flags, as main methods of sea-to-shore communication.
The tower room has previously only been open to the public on rare occasions.
More recently, it was out of bounds because of deterioration to the décor.
Town centre fund investment
New funding has now allowed the sympathetic restoration project to be undertaken.
£34,000 from the Arbroath town centre fund was spent on the renovation.
And it has also allowed 360-degree tours to be produced which provide virtual access to previously inaccessible parts of the building.
Angus Council administers the town centre fund which aims to support local improvements and partnerships.
Angus Alive museums lead Rachel Jackson said: “We’re really excited to be able to allow visitor access to this part of the building.
“It is an iconic tower and many visitors are keen to climb the 70 steps and ladder into the room.”
Rachel added: “To ensure the opportunity to view the tower room is inclusive, we worked with the Airborne Lens Company to produce a virtual reality view.
“This has given us the opportunity to offer a virtual visit that is also available in Gaelic, Polish and Romanian.”
Public access of the tower room will begin on Saturday October 30.
Guided tours will place every Saturday at noon and 1pm.
Booking is required due to the limited number of spaces available on each tour.