Souter Lighthouse

Souter Lighthouse opened in 1871 as the first lighthouse in the UK built to run on electricity, its red and white hooped tower standing on the cliffs midway between the Tyne and the Wear. Displays inside tell the keepers' story, and you can climb the 76 steps to the lamp for views along the coast. To the north The Leas runs for two and a half miles of limestone cliffs, rocky bays and grassland, where the stacks of Marsden Bay hold nesting kittiwakes, fulmars and guillemots; to the south lies Whitburn Coastal Park, reclaimed colliery land that is now a nature reserve. Families can rock-pool on the shore, and dogs are welcome on short leads in the grounds and cafe. Reviewers praise the enthusiastic staff and the two-mile Souter Saunter walk. Tips from visitors: the final steps to the top are steep and narrow, and parking is pay and display, free for members.