Souter Lighthouse is one of those North East landmarks that actually earned its reputation. Built in 1871, it was the first lighthouse anywhere in the world designed to run on electricity from day one — a proper engineering leap on a coastline known for giving ships a hard time. Its carbon-arc lamp could cut through fog and sea spray in a way oil lights never managed, and the foghorn was just as important. Driven by compressed air, it was one of the loudest on the coast, warning vessels miles of