Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: HQ refurbishment

The Northern Lighthouse Board, the General Lighthouse Authority (GLA) for Scotland and the Isle of Man, is based in Edinburgh where the headquarters of the GLA is undergoing a major refurbishment.

Located at 84 George Street, the headquarters of the Northern Lighthouse Board has been at this site since 1832, though the NLB has been in existance since 1786.

From this headquarter building in the Scottish capital, the famous Stevenson family of engineers led the world in the advancement of lighthouse technology. That tradition continues today with the NLB team caring for lighthouses, buoys, beacons and radio aids to navigation to protect mariners.

Mike Bullock, Chief Executive of the Northern Lighthouse Board said: “The building is having its ageing electrical systems replaced and we are taking the opportunity to make it greener, with better office and welfare facilities, which will provide working conditions fit for the 21st Century. This will allow us to continue with what we do best – keeping people and the environment safe from harm.”

Northern Lighthouse Board to attend Careers Show, Glasgow

Afloat highlights that the NLB is to attend The National School and College Leavers Show held at the Scottish Exhibition Centre, Glasgow.

The dates for the show are Tuesday 28 March (10:00-14:30) & (15:30-18:00) and Wednesday 29 March 10:00-14:00

About the NLB

The NLB operate and maintain 208 lighthouses and 174 buoys as well as providing radio aids to navigation (AtoN) in the waters of Scotland and the Isle of Man.

This requires the NLB to operate two ships, the NLV Pharos which as Afloat reported last summer made a rare port of call to the Manx capital where the public boarded for an 'Open Day' to explain the work of the GLA. The event was marked by the ship 'dressed overall'. 

The second vessel, NLV Pole Star as Afloat also reported is to be replaced with a newbuild of the same name by 2025.

The current ships carry out buoy work, deliver stores and supplies to lighthouses and inspect navigation aids on oil and gas rigs in the Scottish sector.

We employ a fantastic team of engineers, technicians, retained lighthouse keepers, seafarers and support staff. We also offer Deck Rating and Engineering apprenticeships.

Together our team ensures that our lighthouses, buoys and beacons continue to evolve to meet the changing requirements of the mariner.

Come and meet the team and find out about future career opportunities.

For further information on the Careers show, click HERE.

Published in Lighthouses

As an island economy, a healthy maritime sector is key to our national competitiveness. Virtually all our imports and exports pass through Irish ports.

Ireland is dependent on ports and shipping services to transport goods and 90% of our trade is moved though Irish ports. Shipping and maritime transport services make a significant contribution to Ireland’s ocean economy, with the sector generating €2.3 billion in turnover and employing over 5,000 people in 2018.

Ireland’s maritime industry continues to grow and progress each year with Irish ports and shipping companies making significant investments. The ports sector in Ireland is currently undergoing a number of expansions and developments with Dublin Port’s Alexandra Basin development, the development of Ringaskiddy in Cork by Port of Cork and the development of Shannon Foynes Port. Along with these major investments, shipping companies are also investing heavily in new tonnage, with Irish Ferries, CLdN and Stena leading new build programmes.

These pages cover the following sectoral areas: shipowners, harbour authorities, shipbrokers, freight forwarders and contractors, cruise liner operators, port users, seamen, merchants, academic institutions, shipyards and repair facilities, naval architects, navy and defence personnel.

Our pages are covering some of the most notable arrivals around our coast and reporting too on port development and shipping news.

This section of the site deals with Port and Shipping News on our largest ports Dublin Port, Port of Cork, the Shannon Estuary, Galway Harbour and Belfast Lough.

A recent study carried out for the Irish Ports Association (IPA) totalled 75.7 billion during 2004 and their net economic impact was some 5.5 billion supporting around 57, 500 full time employees.

Liam Lacey, Director of the Marine Institute’s Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) said, “The Irish maritime industry can look to the future with confidence. It has shown itself to be resilient and agile in responding to challenges. Over the past decade, it has had to respond to the challenges of the financial crisis of 2008, the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and recent challenges. Ireland’s maritime sector has continued to underpin our economy by maintaining vital shipping links for both trade and tourism.”