It took 9 years, from 1861 to 1869, to build due to the treacherous weather conditions that brew constantly between Cornwall and Scilly. The light can be seen from Land's End by day and night, and is almost exactly halfway between the Lizard and the Scilly isles. It has a range of 23 nautical miles (43 km; 26 mi) and was automated in 1988. The lighthouse was the first in the world to be fitted with a helipad.