The Thridrangar Lighthouse is one of the most dramatic and unique lighthouses in the world, and it’s also one of the most remote, lying 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometres) off Iceland’s southern coast in the Westman Islands. The lighthouse is only accessible by helicopter. Prdrangaviti Lighthouse, also known as Thridrangaviti, has also been described as the world’s most isolated lighthouse. The name Prdrangar refers to the three named rocks at the location; Stóridrangur (on which the lighthouse stands), Fudrangur, and Klofadrangur. It was built in 1938/1939 and was dedicated in 1942. Originally built and only accessible by scaling the rock on which it is located, it is now accessible by helicopter thanks to the construction of a helipad.
The lighthouse was built under the supervision of Arni G. Orarinsson, who enlisted the help of experienced mountaineers to scale the rock on which it stands. They couldn’t bite into the rock near the top, and there were no handholds, so they built a human pyramid (one man on his knees, another atop him, and a third climbing on the second one) to get there.
Some Facts
- The light can be seen at nine nautical miles (10 miles)
- The lamp is situated 34 metres (110 feet) above the sea level
- The building itself – a single story with a deck and the lamp on its roof – is 7.4 metres (24 ft) high
While the lighthouse appears to be the ideal hermit’s, monk’s, or anti-humanity retreat, it is actually uninhabitable.
Arnie Saeberg (photo credit photographer above) had no idea his lighthouse photo had been published all over the world for years until his barber showed him the photo on a German website. The barber’s daughter also informed him that the photo had been shared on social media by “The Biebs” (Canadian singer Justin Bieber, born in London, Ontario).
