Lighting built to last from J&G Coughtrie
For more than eight decades, J&G Coughtrie has illuminated Britain’s homes, factories and historic properties with industrial style lighting that simply refuses to quit.
Founded in 1939 by two Glaswegian brothers, the company’s original fixtures endure today, a testament to their philosophy of craftsmanship and sustainability, long before those became industry buzzwords.
This isn’t lighting designed for disposability. Whether shielding a seaside home from the dark in salt-laced gales or withstanding the demands of a factory floor, J&G Coughtrie’s fixtures marry mid-20th-century heritage with modern LED efficiency — all while retaining the durability that has always defined the brand.
The fittings are engineered in the UK using recycled and fully recyclable materials. Mechanical fixings replace glue, allowing for easy repair and upgrades. Suppliers are local. Carbon footprints are minimal. And the designs are rooted in clean, classic Bauhaus principles, so they blend effortlessly with any style building, from Brutalist apartments to Art Deco hotels to traditional bungalows. But the real proof of their quality lies in the stories of those who rely on them.
For more than 80 years, J&G Coughtrie lighting has stood up to storms, industry and time — proving true craftsmanship never goes out of style.From Glasgow workshops to coastal homes and heritage sites, discover the British-made lights built for decades, not seasons.Repairable, recyclable and relentlessly durable — J&G Coughtrie shows how lighting can be timeless, sustainable and beautifully designed.Discovering a lighting legacy
When Hazel Ewart-Mills asked her partner to inspect a broken outdoor light at her Ardfern home, she assumed it would mean a costly replacement. The house, perched near Loch Craignish, had been built twelve years earlier with J&G Coughtrie SP-12 bulkheads lining its exterior. Battling relentless coastal weather — horizontal rain, salt corrosion and 70mph plus gusts — the lights had endured where others might have failed. Until, that is, a heavy garage door battered into one of them during a storm.
“The glass was smashed, but the fixture itself was fine,” recalled David Anderson, Hazel’s partner. “I spotted the J&G Coughtrie branding on the flange and thought, surely we can fix this?”
A quick call to the company confirmed it. They shipped out a new glass piece, and David easily repaired it without having to replace the entire unit.
“The service was phenomenal,” David shared. “They just said, ‘We’ll sort this for you.’ There’s a lot of nasty weather out there. Like with Storm Amy, there were tremendous wind speeds and a lot of rain, and these fittings are still in remarkably good condition.”
The SP-12’s resilience is no accident. First designed in the 1950s, these bulkheads were built for longevity. Today’s models use corrosion-resistant materials and retrofit-friendly LEDs, but the ethos remains unchanged. Lighting should outlive trends — and storms.
In an era of fast furniture and planned obsolescence, J&G Coughtrie’s approach feels almost radical. Their fixtures swap the throwaway cycle for reparability, adaptability and sustainability. Components are modular. Glass cracks? Replace the pane, not the fixture. Early designs accept modern upgrades, like LED conversions. Parts are made from recycled aluminium and steel, with closed-loop recycling in mind.
This is why J&G Coughtrie lighting is perfect for so many applications and for so many reasons. Architects restoring heritage sites choose them for period-accurate designs that meet modern efficiency standards. Urban developers opt for the brand’s Brutalist-inspired pendants, knowing they’ll last decades. Homeowners in coastal or rural areas, like Hazel, rely on them to survive punishing weather.
A testament to British craftsmanship
“Timeless” is overused in design, but here, it’s literal. Some of the same tools that have been used in manufacture since the 1940s are still in use today. The same bulkhead styles that lit post-war shipyards now brighten the Royal Yacht Britannia and add mood to Hollywood film sets. The same designs born in mid-century Glasgow now light everything from the Waverly paddle steamer and the London tube to seaside cottages in Argyll.
And it truly is a case of aesthetics meeting function. The lighting collections feature a modern take on original vintage designs with various styles of bulkheads, swan neck wall lights and pendants in an assortment of attractive colours.
Service as reliable as the lights
For Hazel, these durable outdoor lights have proved their worth over the years, quietly doing their job, season after season, in the kind of coastal climate that tests even the toughest of fittings. And J&G Coughtrie promises every customer the excellent, speedy service that Hazel and David received.
“I was very impressed with the quality and the service from J&G Coughtrie,” said Hazel. “All of my exterior lights are provided by them and have now been up for more than a decade in our wonderful Argyll coastal weather and salt. Other than the accident with the garage door in the storm, I’ve had zero issues and zero maintenance.”
J&G Coughtrie continues to prove that true craftsmanship never goes out of style. Get in touch today J&G Coughtrie, 69-71 Montrose Avenue
Hillington, Glasgow, G52 4LA, 0141 882 3262, sales@jgcoughtrie.com
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