page_title: Sanday, Orkney
section_title: Start Point Lighthouse
hierarchical_section_title: Sanday, Orkney / Start Point Lighthouse
caption_attribution_description: Start Point Lighthouse, en:Sanday, Orkney, taken on the 200th anniversary of the light's commencement of operations.
context_page_description: Sanday is one of the inhabited islands of Orkney that lies off the north coast of mainland Scotland. With an area of 50.43 km², it is the third largest of the Orkney Islands. The main centres of population are Lady Village and Kettletoft. Sanday can be reached by Orkney Ferries or by plane from Kirkwall on the Orkney Mainland. On Sanday, an on-demand public minibus service allows connecting to the ferry.
context_section_description: Start Point lighthouse on Sanday was completed on 2 October 1806 by engineer Thomas Smith (engineer). It was the first Scottish lighthouse to have a clockwork-driven revolving parabolic reflector creating a sweeping beam. The reflector was later replaced by a Fresnel lens.  In 1870 the lighthouse was rebuilt. Since 1915, it has been painted by distinctive black and white vertical stripes which are unique in Scotland. The light was automated in 1962 and is powered by a bank of 36 solar panels.
  Despite the presence of the lighthouse, HMS Goldfinch was wrecked in fog on Start Point in 1915.
caption: Start Point Lighthouse in 2007
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Mac OS X 10.4.8 (8L127)", "Image DateTime": "2007:05:31 19:10:41", "Image Artist": "Alex Walker", "Image ExifOffset": "130"}