Vital repairs have been completed at the Bell Rock lighthouse off the Angus coast.
A team from the Northern Lighthouse Board spent last week working on the famous structure.
The Bell Rock, 11 miles off the coast of Arbroath, is the world’s oldest sea-washed light still operating.
The latest project included replacing a storm-damaged walkway from the helipad on the Inchcape reef to the lighthouse.
And the latest summer weather provided great conditions to work in.
But engineers who were helicoptered there faced a daily race against time.
They had a three-hour window to carry out welding and other work before the tide covered the rock.
Mechanical technician Ross Russell said: “As you would expect, the reef is craggy and undulating with rock pools which makes working on it very difficult.
“We also had to factor in the tides.
“The tidal window is extremely restrictive as all our tools and materials must come down from entrance level or underslung by helicopter. Timing is key.
“It’s a great privilege to work on a structure that is hundreds of years old and is a testament to the Stevensons that the walkway has lasted so well.”
The team was flown in from the 3,600-tonne NLB vessel Pharos.
It is one of two ships the organisation has to help maintain more than 200 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Donald Morrison, Ship’s Master on PHAROS said: “For this visit we remained at anchor for the duration of our helicopter operations, sitting around 8 cables or 0.8nm (nautical miles) from the light.
“With the helicopter flying at 90 knots our orientation to the light was just as important as the distance from the light, when planning our work scope, as good positioning can greatly reduce any risks when flying cargo.”
Bell Rock build began in 1807
The Bell Rock is 115-feet high and designed by engineer Robert Stevenson.
Excavation of the Inchcape rock began in 1807 but the lighthouse was not completed until February 1811.
The stone for the tower was quarried from Mylnfield, near Dundee and Rubislaw in Aberdeen.
The Bell Rock has been fully automated for almost 40 years.
NLB teams carry out an annual inspection and maintenance regime.
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