One of the UK’s most highly-regarded civil engineers was at Angus College in Arbroath this week to give a presentation on the construction of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
Professor Roland Paxton provided the talk as part of the Year of the Light events.
“In my opinion, the Bell Rock Lighthouse is one of the modern world’s greatest engineering achievements,” he said.
Prior to the event, catering students from Angus College unveiled a 3ft cake of the Bell Rock, which was created to mark the festival.
Angus College catering lecturer Doreen Culley said, “As well as a light at the top of the lighthouse, there’s a boat arriving to take the builders back to Arbroath, waves lapping against seaweed-strewn rocks and even a seal watching the proceedings.
“The Bell Rock Lighthouse is one of the seven wonders of the industrial world but we may well have created the eighth!”
The cake will be raffled to raise funds for Angus College Charitable Trust and the RNLI.
Lord Southesk, patron of the Year of the Light steering committee said members had been astonished by just how quickly all the seats for Professor Paxton’s lecture were reserved.
He added, “We expected there to be a lot of interest, but the speed with which the seats were snapped up shows just how interested people are in the history of the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
“The Bell Rock Cake, which fortunately is made of lighter ingredients than the real thing, is further proof of how the Year of the Light has captured the attention of the local community.”