As well as its impressive collection of harbour lights, Whitby also has a "proper" lighthouse located on the clifftop site of Ling Hill a few miles east of the harbour.  This light, as it's name implies was once the high light of a range pair.  The range lights were aligned north-south and displayed fixed lights over the reef known as Whitby Rock.  In 1890 a more efficient light was installed in the tower of the High Light and the Low Light was deactivated and its tower demolished (although, as can be seen below, the ancillary buildings still exist).  This lighthouse is owned and operated by Trinity House, the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar and was fully automated in 1992, is operations now being monitored and controlled by a telemetry link from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre at Harwich.  The lantern displays a red light over Whitby Rock and a white light for general navigation purposes.  The white light is visible for 18, and the red light for 16 nautical miles.  Access to this site can be tricky, particularly for anyone whose mobility is limited.  The long distance footpath known as the Cleveland Way runs past the site and can be accessed at various points along its route.  It is also possible to get to the site by car using the farm road from Hawsker Lane - the back road from Hawsker to Whitby - but parking at the lighthouse is extremely limited and, in the summer months when the former keepers' cottages are in use as holiday homes, can be non existent.  The light can also be tricky and a fair bit of walking may be necessary in order to find a viewpoint for a well lit photograph.

The photo below gives a wider overview of the High Lighthouse site.