Irvine Pilot House

This B listed tower at the entrance to the port of Irvine is unique. Built at the turn of the last century to aid navigation at a notoriously difficult harbour entrance.

Irvine a port since 1514 was losing trade to upstarts like Troon and Ardrossan. The problem with Irvine was the shifting sand bar, restricting access to certain states of the tide.

The solution was invented and patented by the Irvine Harbourmaster, Martin Boyd in 1905. The Pilot House or automatic Tide Marker Station was actuated by the rise or fall of the tide and using light signals by night and a code of balls by day ships in the bay would wait until there was sufficient water over the bar to permit safe passage.

The system continued to be used until the 1970's, by that time the fortunes of Irvine harbour were in decline. The main business of Irvine harbour today is as a maritime museum.

The tower is now in a serious state of deterioration.