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A Special 200 Bicentennial Supplement for the Bell Rock Lighthouse website is in preparation and
will be available later this year
Bell Rock Lighthouse Bicentenary -
"2011" The Year of the Light"
The 200-year-old anniversary of the completion of the
Bell Rock Lighthouse approaches.
As yet several events planned by the authorities below have still to be finalised.
Please watch this page for further
announcements!
Edinburgh - The Northern Lighthouse Board
is responsible
for the Bell Rock Lighthouse and has repainted the tower for the Bicentenary. Unfortunately NO ACCESS to the tower is possible! Lighthouse material on loan from the NLB can be seen in various exlhibitions held in other venues. See this page!
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National Museum of Scotland,
Edinburgh
Shining Lights
Fri 15 October 2010 – Sun 3 April 2011
Admission free
More than 6,200 miles long and including more than 760 islands, the jagged Scottish coastline is one of the most dangerous in the world.
Shining Lights tells the story of the people who designed, built and operated Scotland’s lighthouses, lighting a safe passage for mariners for more than 250 years.
Learn what life was like for the lighthouse keepers, trace the development of lighthouse technology, explore the contributions of Scotland’s Stevenson family, and discover the importance of lighthouses today.
This exhibition will mark the bicentenary of the lighting of the world’s oldest rock lighthouse, the Bell Rock.
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4th and 5th February 2011 -
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical
Monuments of Scotland are holding a Conference in Edinburgh,.
11th December 2010 to 20th February 2011 -
Exhibition at National Gallery of Scotland from which will almost certainly include Turner's famous painting of the Bell Rock Lighthouse of 1819.
National Archives and National
Library, to a greater or lesser degree, will probably
hold Exhibitions over the period, not only for the Bell
Rock but possibly for the Stevenson family of engineers.
1st February 2011 -
Public Lecture by Bella Bathurst ("The Lighthouse Stevensons") in Edinburgh.
Arbroath -
 ARBROATH is the Home town of the Lighthouse and
the Signal Tower, one-time shore station
for the lightkeepers and now the local museum. It already
has two rooms dedicated to the lighthouse, but this will
be expanded upon during the Bicentennial period. A Steering Group in conjunction with Angus Council have
produced their own agenda for the “2011
Year of the Light”. An extended and
exciting raft of events are planned. Dates for many of them are now settled.
Two points of the year have been identified for the celebration
. . . firstly, the 1st February 2011 (the
date that the Bell first exhibited its light); and secondly
during the summer months of that year.
Here is a brief outline of events:
 The Signal Tower Museum will shortly undergo a complete refurbishment.
The entire display will be orientated towards the theme of the Bell Rock, its Bicentenary and the town's history as a fishing and trading port. In addition a lasting memorial, taking the form of a full-size replica of the First Complete Course (42 ft./12.80m) will be laid out in the forecourt of the museum. Added to this will be a Memorial Plaque commemorating the men who built it, and remembering those who died during the years of construction. The Signal Tower will be closed later this year to take account of these changes.
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BOAT TRIPS
are available from the harbour to the Rock at most times of the year, but Always Weather Permitting. Please keep in mind that landing at the Rock is not normally possible. It is too dangerous due to tides and weather conditions and the Northern Lighthouse Board do not allow the general public access to the tower.
Contact Alex Smith, Inchcape Marine Services, Arbroath. 07752 470621
2011 - Events for 1st February
The main events for the day will be a Firework Display and a Torchlight Parade. The latter will involve local organisations and schoolchildren.
 Commemorative First Day Cover -Arbroath & District Stamp & Postcard Club are producing a commemorative cover on the 1st February 2011 as per the attached PDF document. Only 500 covers will be produced, a proportion of which will feature the original 43p stamp of the Bell Rock Lighthouse issued by the Royal Mail in March 1998. Further details will be provided when available.
2011 - Other events throughout the year
Thursday, 10th March - Bell Rock Lecture: "Creation of the Bell Rock Lighthouse - 1806-11" to be given by Prof. Roland Paxton (Heriot-Watt University) at the Webster Theatre, Arbroath, at 7.30 p.m.
Sunday, 12th June - Commemorative Church Service to be held on the Beacon Green, Arbroath.
Saturday, 18th June - Yacht Regatta. Again weather permitting.
 Sat., ???? July (no date available for 2011) - Arbroath Seafront Spectacular. This year's Spectacular (24th July) will also include a Bell Rock interest
 Sat.-Sun., 13th-14th August (2011). This year it will be held on the 21st-22nd August (2010)
- Arbroath SeaFest is an annual festival of the Sea held along the seafront and centring around the town's harbour and new marina.
Both Spectacular and SeaFest events are held annually. For further information about them, search for the appropriate website on the Internet.
13th August/September - Local Art Exhibition.
16th/17th September - Theatrical Show - Nautical theme - "Angus Minstrels"
OTHER EVENTS ARE PLANNED. DETAILS HAVE YET TO BE FINALISED
Fraserburgh -
The home of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.
Many important lighthouse exhibits from the era of the Bell Rock and Stevenson
engineers are already on display. They will hold an exhibition "Living in a Lighthouse" from June to September 2010.
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