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Rattray Head Lighthouse © Ian Cowe

Visitor comments

Find out what visitors have to say about the Shining Lights exhibition.

About the exhibition

"This exhibition brightened up our day." (visitors from Edinburgh)

"A first-rate exhibition. We would love to own the GPS ship locator!” (visitors from Dunfermline)

"It’s great to see the Stevensons getting the recognition they deserve! An excellent and informative exhibition and something that is close to the heart of Scots." (visitor from Edinburgh)

"The lights in the exhibition are truly works of art, things of beauty." (visitor from Edinburgh)

"We loved building the lighthouses and watching the sea wooshing." (young visitors from Edinburgh)

"Excellent. The introductory video was inspiring." (visitor from Edinburgh)

"Very interesting and informative, especially the film of former lighthouse keepers." (visitor from West Sussex)

"Really enjoyed this exhibition, beautiful pieces on display. Especially found the live shipping tracker interesting and loved the Turner painting was included!" (visitor from Vancouver)

"I want to live in a lighthouse!" (visitor from Barcelona)

"Very intriguing exhibition has now given me the thirst to explore lighthouses more." (visitor from Belfast)

"We loved it, my three-year-old daughter loved the story of Bessey the horse who built Bell Rock." (visitor from Edinburgh)

"What an interesting and unusual exhibition about something we've taken for granted." (visitor from Oxfordshire)

"Very enlightening (no pun intended). Interesting; informative; well worth a visit." (visitor from Lancashire)

"Awesome! Love the big lightbulbs." (visitor from Sydney, Australia)

"Inspirational in many ways; the ingenuity of the designers, the bravery of the builders and the solitude and stoicism of the keepers. It's a time gone by now but good to preserver it." (visitor from Glasgow)

"Dazzling. And beautifully presented." (visitor from London)

Lighthouse memories

"As a child my bedroom window looked out on the Bell Rock lighthouse. Brilliant to follow the construction and design and see some of the history and development." (visitor from Arbroath)

"Brought back memories for this lighthouse keeper's daughter!! Many thanks." (visitor from Orkney)

"My grandfather was a lighthouse keeper and this gives me an insight into his working life." (visitor from Shetland)

"Three generations of family worked as keeper, electrician, lightship captain. This added to my knowledge of the life of keepers." (visitor from Elgin)

"Truly superb. To see the wall mural of Skerryvore was a marvel in itself. My late father served there for four years shortly after WW2." (visitor from Edinburgh)

"In 1985 I stayed in the 'low light' buildings on the Isle of May whilst on an ornithological expedition for 10 days or so. The keepers in the main lighthouse kindly let us use their shower facilities on one of the days - we needed it!! Splendid chaps!" (visitor from Edinburgh)

"I remember well the two lighthouses operating manually on Fair Isle and the great contribution the lighthouse families made to the island community...Many thanks to all the lightkeepers for all their hard work and dedication over the years." (visitor from Fair Isle, Shetland)

Shining Lights is sponsored by:

Pagan Osborne

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National Museums Scotland, Scottish Charity, No. SC 011130