A website dedicated to the history of the Bell Rock lighthouse has received hits from over 165 countries in the run-up to the 200th anniversary of Robert Stevenson’s masterpiece.
David Taylor set up www.bellrock.org.uk to remember his great-great-great-grandfather and the important part he played in the construction of the lighthouse, which is 11 miles off the coast of Arbroath.
The site has now been visited by people from every corner of the globe including Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Holland, Germany, Norway, Czech Republic and Brazil. People from as far afield as Fiji, Vietnam, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso have also logged on.
“On retiral from the newspaper business back in 1999 and with time on my hands, this website was set up mainly to remember my ancestor, Captain David Taylor, and the important part he played in the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse,” said Mr Taylor.
“During the following four years, the website started to gain popularity, mainly from lighthouse aficionados and those with maritime interests.
“In 2003 the BBC produced their series Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, and in so doing catapulted bellrock.org.uk on to the national scene.
“However, being involved in the production of the film, from a factual point of view, I was unhappy in the way in which they ‘lampooned’ John Rennie, but as each episode of the series was based on the contention between two men, Rennie, in this instance, came off worst.”
Year of the Light events have been planned in and around Arbroath next year to mark the anniversary of the lighthouse considered one of the world’s greatest feats of engineering coming into service.
The programme includes a firework display, a memorial service to those who have lost their lives on the Bell Rock over the centuries and a regatta.
There will also be regular boat trips around the lighthouse and stonemasons are making replicas of its sandstone blocks. The stones will be put on display beside the replica of the lighthouse base course, to be displayed in the tower museum’s forecourt.Visit the website at www.bellrock.org.uk