Specially Formulated Lighthouse Paint
Here at the Lighthouse Bulletin, our website owner has lived in lighthouse stations for the past 39 years; so most of the crew here have witnessed first hand how exceptionally decent, professional and thoughtful the lighthouse staff and engineers are. Many are also not afraid of heights…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Tower ^^
^^ Being Prepared For Renovation & Painting ^^
The first couple of photographs here are relating to the renovation by the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) of Tod Head Lighthouse Tower during 2018. Several of the subscribers of this website had clubbed together and bought Noss Head Lighthouse Station (the tower was NOT included). So what happened next is an example of the Northern Lighthouse Board being very good to us, because we had been helpful to them.
The end result will mean good news for you ~ if you end up owning a former lighthouse keeper’s house.
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Tower ^^
^^ Being Painted With Very Special ^^
^^ Two-System Paint That Lasts 5 to 8 Years ^^
The Northern Lighthouse Board had asked us if they could “borrow” our main deck (front courtyard) and if possible, could our hotel building be used for their onsite crew (otherwise it was 1 hours drive to and from work each morning at 6am).
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Tower ^^
^^ External Surface Completed ^^
We were delighted to lend “the deck” to the Northern Lighthouse Board and their project manager was very kind in helping with moral support and advice on our own buildings as we had bought Noss Head Lighthouse Station after it had been empty for a couple of years.
^^ “The Deck” ^^
^^ At Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
^^ This Soon Filled Up With Tons of NLB Building Materials ^^
ubject of paint might get folk thinking of that old adage: “as interesting as watching paint dry.” However, before you fall asleep, please get the kettle on and make yourself a good cup of coffee. We can vouch for paint. We can recommend the dpecial formula lighthouse paint (geeranally not available publicly, but at exceptional times, this hultra-high specification paint can be made available at trade representatives only and particular.
he lighthouse boards throughout the UK have been particularlysince the majority of the former lighthouse keepers’ accommodation blocks have been sold of in the 1980s and 1990s during the era of lighthouse automation from a remote HQ, where at the Lighthouse Bulletin we have seen at first hand how such mutual respect can be.
ur Professional Lighthouse As an example of the mutual respect and relationship between official organisations such as the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) and private individuals to whom the NLB (and in England & Wales, Trinity House Lighthouse Board), here is a case in point where the special relationship bet]ween the official and the private (or soon to be charity) organisations keeps these iconic buildings in good condition. Paint May seem a simple matter. It ain’t. Just study the Forth Rail Bridge and the millions of pounds the new formula of paint cost. The new paint on the Forth Rail Bridge also extinguished that old saying of “forever” equating to “how long will it take to paint the Forth Rail Bridge?” Now with the new “paint system” on the big red bridge lasting . .
. . 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. .
THIS WEBSITE AND ALL OF OUR BUILDING SITES ARE A WORK-IN-PROGRESS, UNTIL…
Completing Mysteries!
What goes on behind the scenes to complete a renovation?
Quality materials save money and give a better result.
One of our shareholders asked about why we tend to “over-engineer” most of our building restoration projects. Welcome to the first in a series of articles that illustrate how and why we work the way we do and how this might help you.
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Compound ^^^
Often when we complete a hotel or shop or office renovation, the rooms look “normal” and not a lot seems to have happened. Some of our readers have mentioned the end result is like watching paint dry…
But that is a main point.
We don’t want our tenants our buyers to feel that the building is strange or unfamiliar.
However, sometimes it is important to let folk know what over-engineering means. What a back-to-bricks project requires as much hard work is hid from sight.
For this segment, we include the first in a series of items. They may not seem important….
BUT…
This all adds up. Like an Olympic athlete, the cumulative effect of many smaller, almost granular improvements can help give you that margin to help make your new business a success.
Completing Mysteries
Why Is Paint Drying Important?
It illustrates that over-engineering actually saves you money.
How?
It provides better protection and it only needs a repaint every six years instead of every two to three years. Over-engineering can actually save you money.
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^^
For example, at our Noss Head Lighthouse compound we were very fortunate to have several of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) contractors stay at our main B&B building…
^^^ Robbie Coghill & Andrew Ritchie ^^^
They make buildings look handsome.
These guys were incredibly decent. They asked the senior project manager from the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) if we could buy some of the special formula lighthouse paint.
The secret recipe stuff. If your gran made this, the recipe would be locked well away.
This proper lighthouse paint that lasts for several years in some of the most dramatic and wild-weather locations in the world…
Artwork By Jean Guichard
Well, we now have gran’s secret paint recipe and with grateful thanks to Andy and Ally at the Northern Lighthouse Board. Just to be clear, this paint is made by highly qualified chemists and not something your gran rustled up whilst making an apple pie.
We immediately noticed the higher quality paint coatings at our Noss Head project. The privately owned keepers’ houses on one side of a safety-fence and and the Northern Lighthouse Board owned tower on the other. All were painted at the same time and the whole lighthouse station looked a million dollars by the time we have all finished.
At many other lighthouse stations either the tower or the keepers’ cottages get painted at different times and the contrast looks awful…
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Tower ^^^
On the left is our building. Unpainted and unkempt looking. Whilst to the right is the freshly painted lighthouse tower. That paint will last 6 years.
In this case, all of the lighthouse buildings (owned by two different organisations) were penultimately painted at the same time…
^^^ Noss Head Keepers’ Houses & Lighthouse Tower ^^^
This is very subtle, but if all the buildings are painted within a week or so of each other, rather than in different years, then the whole site looks significantly better.
We can illustrate this with another lighthouse station at Neist Point. The Northern Lighthouse Board have painted their tower and the engine rooms connected to it (top right quarter of photo)…
^^^ Neist Point Lighthouse Keepers’ Houses & Lighthouse Tower ^^^
(photo licensed courtesy of Alamy)
Sadly if you look at the rest of the Neist Point Lighthouse buildings, they look obviously unpainted and unkempt. In fact the rest of that lighthouse station is in a very sorry state.
Whether it is a lighthouse station, a restaurant, shop or coastal property such as our current Sannox Hotel project, it is a good economy to use the best materials for the job…
High quality standards do not cost a million dollars.
In fact it actually saved money as the paint lasts twice as long: In our experience of watching lighthouse towers painted since our first station in 1984 when our founding director moved to Davaar Island these towers tend to be painted once every 6 years instead of 2 to 3 years frequency.
Plus we have a trade account which secures us plenty of the good stuff….
^^^ Northern Lighthouse Board ^^^
Special recipe formulation of high-quality paint.
This batch destined for Sannox Hotel: Bay Cottage Newbuild
It doesn’t actually cost a huge amount more than ordinary masonry paint. But it is the Rolls-Royce quality that the Northern Lighthouse Board use.
By deploying the highest quality exterior paint, this keeps maintenance costs down and strange though it might seem, this has the ancillary benefit of making the jobs + employment created in whichever building is being renovated much more viable and secure.
And you may have thought we were using just some random cans of paint!
You can see the difference: here are some “before” and “after” photos of what these guys did for us at our Noss Head Keepers’ houses…
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Buildings ^^^
Before preparation work and painting.
We were so delighted with the high-quality and long-lasting finish, that Andy Ritchie and Stuart Brown are now honourary team members and will be invited to fulfil the contract for painting the Sannox Hotel and the Arbroath offices etc.
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Buildings ^^^
After painting with specialist NLB coating system.
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Buildings ^^^
Before preparation work and painting.
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Buildings ^^^
After painting with specialist NLB coating system.
When you see the normal working conditions Andy works in. He is very well able to paint any building we own…
^^^ Andy Ritchie. Gerard Butler of Lighthouses ^^^
He’s actually a big softy.
When Andy stayed with us at Noss Head, you could hear him in the next room, quietly reading stories at bedtime every night to his two wee daughters 200 miles away (via FaceTime). Andy has an incredible work ethic and yes, he is tough when required. But at heart? Sorry Andy, your busted. The T shirt has “M” for soft marshmallow”. We like Thomas the Tank Engine at 7pm best 🙂
At the time of writing this page, Andy is destined to visit the Sannox Hotel to turn this drab looking building into something a bit special….
^^^ Sannox Hotel, Island of Arran ^^^
The final 15% of work, including exterior painting and landscaping is scheduled for work in July and August 2021.
Scotslion and the Argyll Group secure another 6 to 11 new jobs from this formerly closed-down old hotel as it is completely reborn and ready for the next 50 years.
***********
. . . . bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Keeper’s Cabin
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
From Ruinous Wreck To Useful House
Here is an example of what can be achieved when a group of friends join together and make an effort to bring near-derelict eye-sores back into meaningful use and crucially in this example, to restore buildings within the curtilages of FOUR listed buildings of Grade “A” standing.
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
Keeper’s Cabin To The Right of This Photo
Although Keeper’s Cabin is a more modern vintage having been built in the 1960s by the Northern Lighthouse Board. This was a one room bedsit, riddled with damp and had no insulation.
^^ The Old Bothy ^^
A Bedsit For Visiting Relief Lighthouse Keepers
The first job was to remove the detritus and prepare for a new damp-proof-course plus a decent measure of insulation…
^^ The Old Bothy ^^
A Bedsit We Doubled In Size & Renovated
High specification insulation was installed in walls and ceilings…
^^ Becoming A One Bedroom Dwelling ^^
Here we can see the transformation of just one of the 6 rooms in this property…
^^ A Proper Bespoke Bedroom: Not A Damp Bedsit ^^
The next illustration shows the new footprint which is double what the old habitable area consisted of. Fair enough, we lost a coal-bunker and a junk-room, but the space is much more useful (and drier and warmer) now…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
This is the new floorplan.
It is double the size of the old Bothy bedsit.
For a better appreciation of the renovation work completed from the transformation of this old property, here is a video of “after” the renovation…
PLEASE CLICK VIDEO TO WATCH…
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station, KW1 4QT.
Keeper’s Cabin is now fully renovated and a very comfortable lighthouse building home…
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^^
This is what this dilapidated building
used to look like….
^^^ The Old Coal Bunker ^^^
^^^ The Old Coal Emptied ^^^
This is one of three unused stores accessible at the gable end of this building…
^^^ Transformation of A drafty Coal Bunker & A Dunny ^^
Into A Useful Building
Fit For Modern Day Use
^^ Changing Draughty Redundant Doorways ^^
Into Properly Insulated Window
^^ Remember The Old Coal Bunker? ^^
It became a very warm and useful site-office
^^ This Office Eventually Became The Kitchen ^^
Here are some random photographs showing the old bits of surplus rooms before this space was rebuilt into a useful dwelling that is properly insulated and easy to heat.
^^ The Old Bedsit Bunk Beds ^^
^^ A Redundant Corridor ^^
After the Detritus Was Removed
Outside required the muddy parking space needed to be tidied up and made into a a proper parking area that is sympathetic to the neighbouring surroundings…
^^ The Old Grass Parking Area Became ^^
^^Like A Swamp In Wet Weather ^^
This has now been remedied…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin Parking Area ^^
^^ Keeper’s Cabin Parking Area ^^
All this work and effort is worth it in the end when you have a beguiling place to visit such as this…
^^ Keeper’s Cabin At Noss Head ^^
During An Aurora Borealis Event
^^ Keeper’s Cabin At Noss Head ^^
Main Entrance
Following the renovation of Keeper’s Cabin, it is bliss not to have to climb over the old toilet to get into the mouldy Bothy shower. Let alone end up with medical Glasgow scale concussion from actually using this weirdly placed w.c. and banging your head off of the wall (all now removed with a properly positioned, brand new set of w.c. washroom facilities that are separate from the brand new shower room)…
^^^ Gone ^^^
Replaced By Two Separate Rooms.
One for showering and one a brand new washroom and w.c.
What Keeper’s Cabin looks like after the renovation…
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin Bedroom ^^^
***
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin Lounge ^^^
***
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin Kitchen ^^^
***
If you just spend 50 seconds watching the video at the top of this page ~ the fully renovated Keeper’s Cabin, you may begin to appreciate the transformation from coal bunker and damp dingy dump of a space. Heaven help the visiting lighthouse keeper’s of olden days.
After a major renovation the main buildings and the lighthouse tower are looking significantly improved…
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin On The Left ^^^
Here is an earlier photograph from several years ago.
It’s amazing what some TLC can do for a place…
Noss Head Lighthouse Station in The 1990s
Some Photos of Keeper’s Cabin
& The Lighthouse Station
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^^
The entrance to our building is to the left of the photograph
^^^ Noss Head Loch + Island + Pier ^^^
^^^ Noss Head Loch + Island + Pier ^^^
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station In The Distance ^^^
^^^ Sinclair Girnigoe Castle in The Middle Ground ^^^
^^^ Ackergill Tower in The Foreground ^^^
^^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^^
***********
Video of Noss Head Lighthouse Station
This was filmed before the
Noss Head Lighthouse Station Ltd., renovations
^^^ Video Film ^^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station & Keepers’ Houses
Please TEXT: 0757 2768 795
For further information
. . ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc . .
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ARCHIVE BOX
Keeper’s Cabin
(Formerly The Old Bothy)
Noss Head Lighthouse Station, Wick, Caithness, KW1 4QT.
The following are from photograph albums and VHS tapes gifted to Russ McLean from the widow of the late Iain Sinclair, former owner from the 1990s of Noss Head Lighthouse Station.
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station
***********
Keeper’s Cabin
Measurements: Rough Drawing
***********
Measurements: Rough Drawing
***********
Measurements: Rightmove Plan Person
***********
Old Photographs
Showing The Hole-In-The-Wall
Heaven knows what the architect will make of our own diminutive version of Narnia. Please meet…
THE FITTTED CUPBOARD/WARDROBE
^^ Cupboard With Wardrobe Rail & Clothes ^^
This photo WAS from the
Principal Keeper’s Cottage.
Hey presto, instead of coats hung up, we have an illicit hole knocked through by a team of builders all of whom hail from the House of Lords…
^^ Cupboard With Wardrobe Rail & Clothes ^^
Principal Keeper’s Cottage Side
^^ Cupboard With Wardrobe Rail & Clothes ^^
Principal Keeper’s Cottage Side
The other side led to (the old, damp and unrenovated) Keeper’s Cabin…
^^ Cupboard With Wardrobe Rail & Clothes ^^
Earlier Owner’s Side
Keeper’s Cabin
With the greatest respect Sir…
^^ To Save The King From Embarrassment ^^
Especially As His Sister
Raised Over £1,000,000.,
For Our TS Queen Mary Charity
The previous owner who had custodianship during the material time of this hole-in-the-wall was…
The Clan Sinclair Trust
Click Here
A very discreet remedy (up to Building Warrant Standards) was applied to the rough hole-in-the-wall…
^^ Pink Fire Retardant Material Deployed ^^
Making best of a badly built Narnia
style hole: with no apparent lintel!
^^ Double Skinned ^^
Sp,e f the Keeper’s Cabin walls were insulated with RWA Batts and other walls insulated with Celotex or generic foil-backed insulation…
^^ Exterior Facing Walls ^^
Double-Glazed & Hyper-Insulated.
^^ EXAMPLE of Treble Skin ^^
EITHER Celotex or RWA45 insulation deployed
^^ Preparation For Finishing ^^
The following drawing highlights where a third stud wall was built with added insulation (shaded blue). This extra finishing element was to ensure that sound deadening and heat insulation between the to properties was over-engineered where possible…
^^ Added Insulation & Sound Deadening ^^
Light Blue Shaded Line Preparation For Finishing.
The light blue shaded line between the two semi-detached properties sows where the EXTRA insulation was placed. This is in excess to the original brick wall between the semi-detached properties as originally constructed by the Northern Lighthouse Board
***********
Exterior Work
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Pictures…
It is important to note that the photographs on this page are intended to be as helpful as possible. But several date back up to 14 years and are supplied in good faith.
Most photographs are self-evident. But some may require further analysis to ensure that where a forensic description is required, the floors, walls and ceiling photographs match up with writing on the back of old photographs, or note that accompany plan drawing etc., it may be necessary to obtain the opinion of those who were at the premises at the time.
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Unfortunately, a previous owner, Mr Iain Sinclair died in 2014 and a subsequent owner Russ McLean had a stroke in April 2019. Consequently, without a Ouija board or MRI scanner with special memory repair protocols, it may be difficult to be absolutely 100% certain of the provenance.
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
If circumstances arise where this is a problem, then either Mr Rutherford (for Keeper’s Cabin, or the current owner for the Principal Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage will need to be consulted in the event that damage of exploratory holes etc., are needed. Wherever possible, the current owners WANT TO HELP but there are challenges as mentioned. Our apologies for this.
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Possibly the wises default with photographs here is Occam’s Razor. This current series of exterior photographs is a case in point. Readers can actually see with their own eyes, the preparation work and then the various coats of specialist Northern Lighthouse Board being applied.
But it is debateable whether this is official long-life Northern Lighthouse Board paint, unless photographs (and receipts) are supplied…
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Actual Northern Lighthouse Manufactured Paint
This series of external photographs are self-evident. There are receipts and empty cans of specialist Northern Lighthouse paint which can be provided. But in the final analysis, it may not always be possible to provide a definitive answer. Sorry for those circumstances.
^^ Keeper’s Cabin & Principal Keeper’s Cottage ^^
^^ Keeper’s Cabin & Principal Keeper’s Cottage ^^
^^ Keeper’s Cabin & Principal Keeper’s Cottage ^^
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage & Keeper’s Cabin ^^
^^ Painting Team ^^
***********
Notes
^^ Principal Keeper’s Cottage ^^
***********
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
***********
^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station.
Any questions,
please call Russ McLean or:
TEXT via: 0757 2768 795.
***********
Keeper’s Cabin
Video
To take a video-tour of the inside of Keeper’s Cabin…
PLEASE CLICK VIDEO TO WATCH…
^^^ Keeper’s Cabin ^^^
Noss Head Lighthouse Station, KW1 4QT.
***********
Post Script
EXAMPLE
Of A Highland Council
“Retrospective Planning Application“
This excerpt is to give an idea of the time-frame that Highland Council currently process what appears to be a fairly empirical “Retrospective Planning Application”. The EXAMPLE shown is for a relatively substantial newbuild.
Whereas the ORIGINAL semi-detached buildings constructed as such, by the Northern Lighthouse Board have merely been returned from one dwelling, back to the original “as-built” TWO dwelling semi-detached format.
Here Is An EXAMPLE of A
“Retrospective Planning Application“
For Reference
EXAMPLE
OF TIMEFRAME FOR HIGHLAND COUNCIL
EXAMPLE
OF TIMEFRAME FOR HIGHLAND COUNCIL
EXAMPLE
OF TIMEFRAME FOR HIGHLAND COUNCIL
***********
Preferred Architect
Preferred Architect: Knight & McDonald
***********
. . .