The lighthouse on the world's smallest island.

The rocks surrounding the Scilly Islands were the cause of numerous shipwrecks over the years. In 1707, following the sinking of the British naval officer ship Cloudesley Shovell, along with over 2,000 sailors, the Trinity House (comprising Great Britain, Wales, and British waters) decided to build a lighthouse in the most dangerous waters of the West. The chosen location was Bishop Rock.

However, James Walker, chief engineer of Trinity House, opposed the construction of the granite lighthouse on Bishop Rock. He argued that the ledge was too small for the surrounding external factors, making the lighthouse unable to withstand the pressure of the sea and wind.

Construction began in 1847. The lighthouse, with its brass screw-shaped mast, cost nearly £12,000 to erect. The architect's idea was to reduce pressure by directing waves past the mast instead of crashing directly into the tower. The idea was completed after two years, but shortly thereafter, on February 5, 1850, the lighthouse was completely destroyed by a powerful storm.

James Walker continued building the lighthouse. This time, he decided to use granite as the building material. Transporting the stone to the island was difficult and dangerous. All preliminary processing of the stone had to be done on shore before it was brought to Bishop. After seven years, the construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1858.

The 49-meter-tall lighthouse is now powered by a generator and batteries instead of the kerosene lamps it once used. A helipad was built here in 1976. In 1991, the lighthouse switched to automatic operation. It has 10 floors and is open to visitors.