NU2337 : Cottage and Beacon, Brownsman
taken 13 years ago, near to Brownsman [other Features], Northumberland, Great Britain
A group of 15 - 20 islands (depending on the tides) offshore of Seahouses, Northumberland. They are the most easterly outcrops of the Whin Sill (a dolerite intrusion across north east England). The islands are divided into the inner and outer islands. The Islands are an important breeding ground for many seabirds having a large Puffin population. There is also an important seal colony here. The whole area is designated a National Nature Reserve.
Wikipedia: Link
The Great Whin Sill is a large igneous intrusion into the rocks of Northern England. The intrusion is dated at 295 million years ago; the rock is dolerite. Several classic locations of Northern England owe their location to this sill : Hadrian's Wall, Farne Islands, Holy Island, Bamburgh Castle.
Classically, beacons were fires lit at well-known locations on hills or high places, used either as lighthouses for navigation at sea, or for signalling over land that enemy troops were approaching, in order to alert defences. As signals, beacons are an ancient form of optical telegraphy, and were part of a relay. Many hills in the UK are called Beacon.