Scotland in St. Mary's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Welcome to Point Lookout
This is where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. A naval officer once described the Point as a "bleak, barren sand beach." Yet it was an ideal location for a beacon to guide mariners traveling both the bay and the river. Authorized in 1825, the Point Lookout Lighthouse lit the way for 136 years, helping generations of captains avoid shoals, navigate through dense fog and find the Potomac River's mouth.
A System for Safety
Point Lookout Lighthouse was once part of a vast network of Aids to Navigationlighthouses, buoys, signals, lightships and markers that help mariners find their way and avoid danger. Many light stations display unique light patters or colors to announce their location and warn of dangers like shallow water or rocks. Light stations also use bells and horns to guide travelers in fog and heavy rain.
[Caption:]
Point Lookout, ca 1878
Washington, D.C. sits just 100 miles up the Potomac River. As the nation grew in the early 1800s, shipping traffic to the capital increased. Point Lookout Lighthouse lit the way.
Erected by Maryland Park Service; Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications
this page online
Location. 38° 2.345′ N, 76° 19.325′ W. Marker is in Scotland, Maryland, in St. Mary's County. It is on Point Lookout Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10350 Point Lookout Rd, Scotland MD 20687, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Light's On at Point Lookout (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wharf (within shouting distance of this marker); Treacherous Waters (within shouting distance of this marker); The Buoy & Coal Sheds (within shouting distance of this marker); Hammond General Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Point Lookout Radio Room (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bay Is a Sunken River (within shouting distance of this marker); From Buoys to Barracks (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Scotland.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Let There Be Light (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on April 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 14, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
