I have a set of steps with a nice ornate rail (cast legs with an oak rail on top)  along it. I would like to have a switch at the top of the steps, either at hand height under the rail or maybe on the floor in the paving?
I cant find any exterior switches that do not look like they came from the set of Blakes 7.
Please help… Please don’t say PIR as there are lots of cats and foxes round here that we neighbours have all made a pact to not install PIR’s on the front of the houses as it pisses everyone off at night when the beasts set them off.s

Could you use an internal switch connected to a motion sensor outside?

Remote control?

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/KBIP663G.html?source=adwords&ad_position=1o2&ad_id=45425533757&placement=&kw=&network=g&matchtype=&ad_type=pla&product_id=KBIP663G&product_partition_id=174047709667&test=finalurl_v2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-b7lyJi32wIVgrHtCh2WfQ-qEAQYAiABEgK6AvD_BwE

This one doesn’t look too bad.

https://www.rselectricalsupplies.co.uk/bg-electrical-ip55-outdoor-light-switch-wpb12_9667

Could you hide the switch behind a tall pot plant?

My grandad used to have his pond pump powered up by pulling a hidden string! The string was tied at one end and ran under the hand rail near the pond, it then disappeared into a watertight box which had a bathroom pull cord light switch inside. I’m not saying thats the solution for you but it was certainly thinking outside the box. It also meant you could turn it on wherever you were stood along the hand rail, by pulling the string anywhere along its length.

could something like a Phillips hue strip work?  have it on a timer, use the app or potentially a pir

Something like this?

You can also get beam switches, which when you pass through the beam, it’ll switch on.   Similar to a PIR, but if you set the beam up above 2ft, then that would stop cats and foxes cutting the beam, but it would work for humans.