Saint John's Point Lighthouse, County Down

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Return to Saint John's Point - Northern Ireland's Unusual Lighthouse

Saint John's Point Lighthouse, County Down, Northern Ireland

The distinctive yellow and black painted lighthouse is situated on the eastern end of Dundrum Bay in County Down, Northern Ireland and differentiated from most lighthouses that are decorated in the usual black and white or just white.

Not to be confused with Saint John's Point lighthouse in County Donegal; the unusually-coloured County Down lighthouse is one of the finest in Ulster with rocky foreshore, the Mourne Mountains in the distance and its bright colour adding to the appeal of the long drive into the peninsula on which it sits.

Saint John's Point has been in operation since 1844 and the light sits 37 metres above high water line, and the tower reaches 40 metres - although it doesn't feel too large with the expanse of Dundrum Bay, the Irish Sea and the characterful Mourne Mountains in the distance.

I have made a few visits to the lighthouse this year and it is always a great location in good weather and bad. Now that's the secret of a good travel photographer, making the most of the weather.

The last visit I posted about on my Facebook page, see the post below, on the return visit I had a beautifully-bright September morning to deal with, calm conditions and I quickly set about scrambling over the inclined shaly and sandstone rocks to find an angle to photograph the lighthouse making use of the incoming tide. It is a longer trek than it looks when the ground underfoot is so difficult to walk over but always enjoyable!

Setting up my tripod with haste I had a few moments to get an image from the water's edge before five feet were soaked - that's my two feet and my Manfrotto tripod's three feet!

Saint John's Point recently featured in the last episode of BBC's Bloodlands, Series 2 starring local actor James Nesbitt.

Panoramic Ireland create private photography experiences in County Down and throughout Ireland, for more information contact Darren here or have a look at the Northern Ireland page here

Don't forget to stop by the Facebook page and say hello!

Last modified on Friday, 24 March 2023 11:38
Darren McLoughlin

Irishman and International travel photographer in search of the best bits of Ireland. Leading photography tours and experiences in Ireland.

Contributor to New York Times / Sunday Times / Irish Times / Echtra Echtra and Eonmusic

Cancer survivor.

Ask me about travel in Ireland or about photography in Ireland.

https://darrenmcloughlin.com

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