The lighthouse was commissioned by the Town Council of Dumfries in 1748 to assist in the safe passage through the Solway Firth of ships heading to the Nith Estuary.

At that time roads in South West Scotland were quite sparse so the bulk of trade even between local villages, was carried out by sea.

Dumfries was a major port and there were regular connections with Liverpool and, especially, Ireland.

[1] The lighthouse was raised from its original structure twice, most notably between 1842 and 1844 to a design by Walter Newall.

In 1894 it was restored at the expense of a local benefactress, Georgiana Blackett of Arbigland.