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

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-metre-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 45 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

Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
Mar 29, 2026Peggys Point Lighthouse, Atlantic Coast, Nova Scotia, Canada

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 1, 2023Haut-Barr Castle, Vosges, France
Dec 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
Oct 30, 2023Common raven
Nov 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Apr 10, 2026Two young red foxes at Karula National Park, Estonia
Jan 3, 2025Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College, University of Oxford, England
Mar 15, 2026Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island, Canada
Apr 29, 2025Garden at Château de Villandry, Loire Valley, France
Oct 4, 2025ISS main solar arrays seen from SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour
Jul 2, 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish
Jun 5, 2025Fumacinha Waterfall, Chapada Diamantina, Brazil
Oct 26, 2024Gespensterwald, Niehagen, Germany
Dec 7, 2024Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Jan 22, 2024Walton Lighthouse, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Jul 20, 2024The Moon
Feb 16, 2025Humpback whale mother and calf
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Mar 3, 2026African elephant calf, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Jan 19, 2024Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Aug 4, 2025Great grey owls
Sep 6, 2025Rufous hummingbird
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Dec 3, 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, United States
Aug 29, 2024Castellfollit de la Roca, Catalonia, Spain
Feb 8, 2026Corfu, Greece
Mar 29, 2024South Stack Lighthouse, Holyhead, Wales, UK
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou
Feb 10, 2024Giant anteater