Ross Island is about 15 minutes sailing by a machine boat from Port Blair’s Fisheries Jetty. There is a pathway up to the northern end of the Island. The Lighthouse Tower exists on an off shoot rock about 50 m away from the shore line. The tower is approachable during the low tide.

Ross Island was the seat of Administration and Regional Offices of the Chief Commissioner during British regime. All the structures on the island were destroyed by an earthquake on 26th June 1941; subsequently the Regional Offices of the Chief Commissioner was shifted to main Island of Port Blair.
The Lighthouse built on Ross Island in 1887 was the first lighthouse in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It was a wooden Trestle Tower erected on the northeast shore of Ross island. A fifth order optic and a lantern with a wick lamp inside was placed on this Tower. A flag used to be hoisted from a high observation point whenever the ship was expected to call, prior to this lighthouse.

In 1905 major activities in terms of lighthouses were carried out at Port Blair. A new 15 m wooden structure was raised on the northeast corner of the barracks on Ross island and the light was shifted on to this tower. Simultaneously, a pair of leading lights (Red) at Atlanta Point (about 200 m NW of Cellular Jail) and another pair of lights (White) was established at South point. These were all the wick lamps inside hoisting lanterns with 6th order optic. The equipment of Ross Island Light was improved to DA gas light in 1946.

A new concrete 10 m high circular tower was constructed at the present location in 1977. A battery operated equipment with incandescent lamp 12V 60W inside 300 mm optic and lantern was installed. The batteries had to be charged in Lighthouse workshop and changed every six months. In 1988 ZF-26 260 mm moulded glass optic and lantern replaced the above equipment. It was at this lighthouse that photo voltaic panels were introduced for the first time in India, to charge the batteries for the operation of light.