Muckle Flugga from an original oil painting - the most northerly of all Scottish lighthouses

David Stevenson was educated, along with other family members of his generation, at the High School of Edinburgh. His father, who saw in his second son great potential, groomed him carefully, not only in the art of lighthouse construction, but also in other aspects of the family business; from surveying and building harbours and rivers, railways and tunnels, to road building in Ireland. Like his brother, he also travelled extensively abroad making his first visit to America in 1837 when he was only 22. In his early years David dealt mainly on the family business of civil engineering. However, when his brother stood down as Engineer to the NLB in 1853 he concentrated solely on lighthouse affairs.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth Mackay, a daughter of an old family friend. Latterly, he did not enjoy good health and frequently was unable to attend to business affairs. In 1881 he took ill and never returned to the office, resigning from all duties in 1883. His term of office could well be described as the golden years of lighthouse building . . . nearly 30 were built during that period.

David died at North Berwick in 1886, a small coastal town to the east of Edinburgh, from which can be seen the Bass Rock (built 1902) and the Island of May (one of the earliest lighthouses illuminated by his father, Robert). They had eight children, two sons of which became lighthouse builders, David Alan (born 1854) and Charles Alexander (born 1855).

Lighthouses (with Thomas) -

	Whalsay Skerries (1854)
	Out Skerries (1854)
	North Unst (Muckle Flugga) (1854)
	Davaar (1854)
	Ushenish (1857)
	South Roma (1857)
	Kyleakin (1857)
	Isle Ornsay (1857)
	Sound of Mull (Rubha nan Gall) (1857)
	Cantick Head (1858)
	Bressay (1858)
	Ruvaal (1859)
	Corran (1860)
	Fladda (1860)
	McArthur's Head (1861)
	St Abb's Head (1862)
	Butt of Lewis (1862)
	Holborn Head (1862)
	Monach (1864)
	Skervuile (1865)
	Auskerry (1866)
	Lochindaal (1869)
	Scurdyness (Montrose) (1870)
	Ru Stoer (Stour Head) (1870)
	Dubh Artach (1872)
	Turnberry (1873)
	Chicken Rock (1875)
	Holy Island (1877 and 1880)