Tales from the Trail: Tiumpanhead Lighthouse
Tiumpanhead Lighthouse, on the Isle of Lewis
This edition of Tales from the Trail comes from Tiumpanhead Lighthouse -fantastic headland which offers views over the productive waters of The Minch. Steve Dodd - a WDC Shorewatcher - shares why this Hebridean Whale Trail site is so special...
I`m Steve Dodd a Whale and Dolphin Conservation Shorewatch volunteer since 2015. Tiumpanhead lighthouse is situated about 11 miles north east of Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, on the Eye Penisula, this area is known locally as Point. I am extremely fortunate to live less than 5 minutes away and I can usually be found there most days when I`m not working regardless of the weather conditions.
Tiumpanhead is arguably one of the best places to see cetaceans, whales, dolphins and Porpoise, from the shore anywhere, especially for variety of species. It has an over 300 degree vista over The Minch and Broad Bay, deep water close to shore, with a deep trench about 3km offshore where the big whales like to dine.
Tiumpan is one of the few places in the UK where you can see Risso`s dolphins from the shore. At times they can come within 10m of the shore, unfortunately this is not always the case. However, they do like to hang around the area, offering a reasonable chance of spotting them especially in good sea conditions. They can often be seen logging, chilling out in small groups, including nursery pods, and when they decide to put on a show it can be very impressive.
We are incredibly fortunate to regularly see 5 species of cetacean: harbour porpoise, Risso`s, common and white beaked dolphins, as well as minke whales. These are seen all year round, although the minke sightings have been thin on the ground this winter. During the better weather months it is common to see all 5 species in a day and far from uncommon for all of them to be present at the same time.
It`s not only the Risso`s that will come very close to shore the porpoise and minkes regularly pass the headland only a few metres offshore making them difficult to see from the Shorewatch viewpoint at the top of the hill above the lighthouse. Tiumpanhead is also a great place for humpback whale sightings - one of the few places in the UK where this species can be seen so close to the shore.
A pair of humpback whales feeding in the deep waters off Tiumpanhead
There appears to be a pattern developing over the last two years of fin whales - 2nd largest whale ever - arriving here in early to mid June. This year they were spotted on most days over 5-6 weeks. On one particularly special day there were between 10-12 feeding all day long. Unfortunately, they were about 5km offshore for most of it. You need binoculars here unless you are very lucky.
Tiumpan is a very special place you just don`t know what might turn up next. Off the top of my head 18-19 species have been spotted from the shore at Tiumpanhead in the last 8 years or so. Orca were seen very close to shore on three occasions in 2019 but they turn up randomly with no recorded pattern as yet. This year the 019, 027, 064 pods (Scottish identified pod numbers) from the Northern Isles Community and John Coe (pictured below with the distinctive notch in his dorsal fin) from West Coast Community were recognised, although I saw orca about 10 times in 2019 !
As I said before you will most likely need binoculars here and be prepared to wait as cetacean spotting can be a long game even at Tiumpanhead. It`s the unpredictability of nature watching that makes it so addictive. If the cetaceans are playing hard to get there are always plenty of birds here. Nesting shag, guillemot, razorbill, fulmar and kittiwake. Divers and black guillemots are seen all year round, as are various gulls, puffins (summer), merlin and buzzard regularly, peregrine and white tailed eagle also put in appearances
On a clear day there is a fantastic panorama of the mountains on the mainland from Cape Wrath down to the top of Ben Nevis and the Inner Hebrides on a really clear day.
Looking across The Minch to the Scottish Mainland from Tiumpanhead
Please be aware that the buildings at the lighthouse are someone`s home and a residential kennels so there is very limited parking but there is a larger area to park in half way up the hill on the left hand side. Also the NATO Joint Warrior Exercise are held in the Minch for two weeks in April and usually again in September and it is not unusual not to have any cetacean sightings whilst these are running.
Cetacean watching is addictive. For me it started as an interesting past time which became a hobby and has now developed into a full blown obsession.
Start your own adventure along the Hebridean Whale Trail today!
Tiumpanhead, not only a great place for wildlife watching - some pretty epic sunsets too!