It was one of four lighthouses built in Shetland between 1854 and 1858, designed by brothers David Stevenson and Thomas Stevenson. David Stevenson initially maintained that building a lighthouse in Shetland waters was impossible, too dangerous and too expensive, and that any ship who took this route was mad.
The shore station was purchased by the Shetland Amenity Trust in 1995 and has been converted into a Marine Heritage Centre.