South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK Mar 29, 2024

South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK

Built on the rugged cliffs of Holy Island, Wales, the South Stack Lighthouse stands watch over the deep waters of the Irish Sea. The 28-metres-tall white tower has guided sailors since its completion in 1809; it provides safe passage for ships on the Dublin-Holyhead-Liverpool route. When it was built, sperm whale oil was used to light the lamps; however, over the years, the mechanism has been upgraded to more advanced technology like LED bulbs and Fresnel lenses. Automated in 1984, the lighthouse continues to serve as a vital navigational aid, with its powerful beam shining up to 44 kilometres. As the sun sets and the sky fills with colours, the silhouette of the South Stack Lighthouse in the dusk makes for a stunning sight. Visitors brave the 400-step descent down the steep cliff face to explore the lighthouse, including its engine room and exhibition area.

© mariotlr/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Check out these ‘sea cows’
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 24, 2026Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Celebrating the Scottish bard
Nov 3, 2025Jellyfish swimming in the Pacific, Guerrero, Mexico
Dec 30, 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
A herald of summer
Mar 18, 2025Red Rocks, Sedona, Arizona, United States
Tomb of the Golden Pharaoh
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
The world’s greatest oasis?
Turtle-y nice day for a swim
Oct 6, 2025Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
Jun 23, 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Underwater underground
The beauty that lies below
Jul 1, 2025Van Mahotsav
May 19, 2025Mount Hamilton, San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Take the trail more travelled by
Nov 1, 2023Haut-Barr Castle, Vosges
Apr 7, 2024North American beaver
A future built on the past
For Mother’s Day, we salute these marsupial moms
A large forest with 6,000 of years of history
Jul 25, 2025Colourful houses of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia
Sep 4, 2024Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
Jan 2, 2024Prayer flags in Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
May 7, 2024A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Racing through the five boroughs
Jul 10, 2025Guru Purnima
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates