The great foghorn at Killantringan on Scotland's south-west coast

Charles Alexander Stevenson was probably the best inventor of the family. He was born in Forth Street in 1855, but the family removed shortly afterwards to Royal Terrace. As with his brother he was educated at Edinburgh Academy and in due course took his Engineering degree at Edinburgh University. Being, however, the younger son, and still living at home, he had to be content to work for nothing, even though his brother was already drawing a salary of £100. It was not until his father died that he was allowed any salary, and only became a partner when his uncle Tom died in 1887.Charles enjoyed nothing better than to solve the many problems, which arose during the building of lighthouses. He worked endlessly to improve optics and illuminants, and for more efficiency in foghorns.

In 1888-89 his brother David became seriously ill which resulted in having to cope with, not only David's lighthouse work, but his own private consultancies. In the 1890s, he all but developed his own form of wireless, even before Marconi perfected his system. Charles never did officially hold the post of Engineer to the NLB, although he was frequently in sole charge during his brother's illnesses. In later years, Charles was frequently in London attending parliamentary enquiries on harbours and rivers. Although officially retiring in1940, he lived on for a further 10 years, dying at the age of 96. He had one son David Alan (born 1891) and two daughters.

	Skaddan and Skroo (Fair Isle) (1892)
	Helliar Holm (1893)
	Sule Skerry (1895)
	Rattray Head (1895)
	Stroma (1896)
	Tod Head (1897)
	Noup Head (1898)
	Flannan Isles (1899)
	Tiumpan Head (1900)
	Killantringan (1900)
	Barns Ness (1901)
	Bass Rock (1903)
	Hyskeir (1904)
	Trodday (1908)
	Neist Point (1909)
	Rubh Re (1912)
	Milaid Point (1912)
	Maughold Head (1914)
	Copinsay (1915)
	Clyth Ness (1916)
	Duncansby Head (1924)
	Esha Ness (1929)
	Tor Ness (1937)