Editing Farne Islands (section)

==Today==
The islands have no permanent population, but [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] rangers live on the islands for nine months of the year, maintaining the site and monitoring wildlife. They live in Prior Castell's Tower on the Inner Farne (the largest and closest inshore of the islands), Lighthouse Cottage on Inner Farne and the lighthouse cottage on the Brownsman in the outer group.<ref name="Graham 2020 q699">{{cite web | last=Graham | first=Hannah | title=You can live on the Farne Islands and here's what its like | website=Chronicle Live | date=26 June 2020 | url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/life-farne-islands-sleep-lighthouse-16251626 | access-date=27 January 2024}}</ref> The [[peel tower|pele tower]] was built during the early part of the 1494-1519 tenure of Thomas Castell as [[Prior of Durham]].<ref name="National Trust 2023 w055">{{cite web | title=History of the Farne Islands’ buildings | website=National Trust | date=28 February 2023 | url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/farne-islands/history-of-the-farne-islands-buildings | access-date=27 January 2024}}</ref>

===Lighthouses===<!-- Redirect anchor -->
[[Image:Longstone Lighthouse 1.jpg|thumb|alt=The lighthouse's curved brick foundation supports the stout conical red-and-white-striped tower and adjacent building.|Longstone lighthouse in the Farnes from where Grace Darling and her father launched their rescue. (The lighthouse would not have been painted red and white in Grace Darling's day).]]
The first lighthouse was built on the islands in 1773;<ref name=SCC/> prior to that, a beacon may have been installed on Prior Castell's Tower, permission having first been given for a light on Inner Farne in 1669.

Currently, two [[lighthouse]]s are operated by [[Trinity House]] on the Farne Islands:
* [[Farne Lighthouse]] was built in 1811 and originally named Inner Farne Lighthouse.
* [[Longstone Lighthouse]] was built in 1826 and originally named Outer Farne Lighthouse.

Former lighthouses on the islands include:
[[File:Remins of Peel tower, Staple Island - geograph.org.uk - 1371421.jpg|thumb|Ruined base of the lighthouse on Staple Island<ref>{{citation | last=Middleton | first=Penny | title=The Farne Islands | work=Historic environment survey for the National Trust properties in Northumberland | date = October 2010 | publisher=Achaeo-Environment Ltd for The National Trust | url=https://www.aenvironment.co.uk/downloads/historic-landscape-characterisation/farne-island-management-plan.pdf | access-date=26 February 2019 | page=40}}</ref>]]
* Farne Island Lighthouse was built in 1673, but never lit; its replacement was built by Captain John Blackett in 1778,<ref>{{cite web |title=Lighthouses on the Farne Islands |url=https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands/features/lighthouses-on-the-farne-islands |website=National Trust |access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref> itself replaced by Trinity House with the current Farne Lighthouse in 1811.  A minor light, called the Low Light, was also established by Trinity House on the north-west of Farne between 1811 and 1910.<ref name="trinityhouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses/lighthouse_list/farne.html |title=Farne Lighthouse |publisher=Trinity House |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310222521/http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses/lighthouse_list/farne.html |archive-date=2013-03-10 }}</ref> to aid navigation by lining this light up with the Inner Farne light
* Staple Island Lighthouse was built by Captain Blackett in 1778 and blown down in the Great Storm of 1784; a replacement, built either in the same place or on Brownsman Island, was knocked down by heavy seas in 1800.
* Brownsman Lighthouse, built in 1800, was replaced by Trinity House with a new tower in 1811 and closed in 1826 when Longstone Lighthouse was established.

[[File:Warden's cottage and tower, Brownsman island - geograph.org.uk - 1371372.jpg|thumbnail|Site of the former lighthouse on Brownsman Island (1811–26): Its base remains attached to the right of the keeper's cottage. Earlier, a light was once shone from the tower on the left.]]
All the operational lighthouses on the Farnes are now automatic and have no resident keepers, although in former years, they did. The lighthouse is now maintained by Trinity House via its local lighthouse attendant, George Shiel, who provides guided tours inside the lighthouse.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverthefarneislands.co.uk/page12.html |title=Trinity House |access-date=2012-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213073125/http://www.discoverthefarneislands.co.uk/page12.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Ruins of some of the older lighthouses may be seen, for example on the Brownsman, which has two. Before the lighthouses, beacons were on several of the islands. The prominent white streak on the cliff facing the mainland (see photo) is similar to bird droppings; although many parts of the islands do exhibit this colouring during the breeding season only, in this case it is the result of [[chalk]] deposits from the many years of spent [[calcium carbide]] from the lighthouse being thrown down the cliff; this calcium carbide was used to generate [[acetylene]], which was used as fuel for the light before [[electricity]] came.