Unusual for a lighthouse in Scotland, it is constructed of red brick, and is unpainted.

A modern differential GPS base station has now been sited on a nearby hill to further aid navigation.

The road to the lighthouse passes a sheltered cove called Port Stoth.

The Butt of Lewis features some of the oldest rocks in Europe, having been formed in the Precambrian period up to 3 billion years ago.

[citation needed] Following the coast southwest from the lighthouse there is a natural arch called the "Eye of the Butt" (Scottish Gaelic: Toll a’ Ròigh).