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:
-
Skipper butterfly on an Echinacea flower
-
Staubbach Falls at Lauterbrunnen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland
-
Bohemian waxwings
-
Japanese tree frog in a pink morning glory
-
Medieval city walls, Ávila, Spain
-
Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
-
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, USA
-
Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
-
Burrowing owl chicks, Wyoming, USA
-
African elephants
-
Madame Sherri Forest, New Hampshire, United States
-
Strokkur geyser in Iceland
-
Whanganui National Park, Retaruke, New Zealand
-
Great Barrier Reef from above, Queensland, Australia
-
Family of ashy woodswallows
-
Eurasian blue tit, United Kingdom
-
Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta
-
Floating fruit market, Kaptai Lake, Rangamati, Bangladesh
-
Waterfall at Wimbachklamm Gorge, Bavaria, Germany
-
Palace of Westminster, London, England
-
Fisgard Lighthouse, Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
-
Beech tree in a cereal field, Hampshire, England
-
Juvenile sunbittern displaying at nest, Ecuador
-
Tea garden at Yangjiatang Village, Songyang County, China
-
Lake Bled, Slovenia
-
Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
-
Dunquin Pier, County Kerry, Ireland
-
Bengal tigers at Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India
-
Lion cubs, South Africa
-
Virginia Creeper Trail, Damascus, Virginia, United States
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

