Built on the rugged cliffs of Holy Island, Wales, the South Stack Lighthouse stands watch over the deep waters of the Irish Sea. The 28-metre-tall white tower has guided sailors since its completion in 1809; it provides safe passage for ships on the Dublin-Holyhead-Liverpool route. When it was built, sperm whale oil was used to light the lamps; however, over the years, the mechanism has been upgraded to more advanced technology like LED bulbs and Fresnel lenses. Automated in 1984, the lighthouse continues to serve as a vital navigational aid, with its powerful beam shining up to 45 kilometres. As the sun sets and the sky fills with colours, the silhouette of the South Stack Lighthouse in the dusk makes for a stunning sight. Visitors brave the 400-step descent down the steep cliff face to explore the lighthouse, including its engine room and exhibition area.
South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
-
Yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
-
Wat Tang Sai Temple, Thailand
-
Castildetierra in the Bardenas Reales, Navarre, Spain
-
Rainbow houses, Netherlands
-
Golling Waterfall, Salzburg, Austria
-
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
-
Burns National Heritage Park, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland
-
Lavender fields in Plateau de Valensole, France
-
Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
-
Natural arch carved in an iceberg, Antarctica
-
Amazon rainforest, Brazil
-
Whale shark
-
Impala and red-billed oxpecker, South Africa
-
Persepolis, Iran
-
Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
-
Great white egret, Upper Bavaria, Germany
-
Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun, Thailand
-
Bora Bora in French Polynesia
-
Aurora borealis over Spirit Island on Maligne Lake, Canada
-
Arches National Park, Utah, United States
-
Staghorn coral in shallow ocean
-
Yellow-spotted river turtle, Amazon Region, Ecuador
-
Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany
-
Sea otter, Glacier Bay, Alaska
-
Jasper National Park, Canada
-
Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington, USA
-
Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park, California, United States
-
Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
-
Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

