Portal:Scottish islands
The Scottish Islands Portal
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Looking from the Isle of Mull towards Ardnamurchan peninsula as the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry MV Clansman sails past the Rubha nan Gall lighthouse
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Scotland has around 900 offshore islands, most of which are to be found in four main groups: Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, sub-divided into the Inner Hebrides and Outer Hebrides. There are also clusters of islands in the Firth of Clyde, Firth of Forth, and Solway Firth, and numerous small islands within the many bodies of fresh water in Scotland including Loch Lomond and Loch Maree. The largest island is Lewis and Harris, which extends to 2,179 km2 (841 sq mi), and there are a further 200 islands which are greater than 40 hectares (100 acres) in area. Of the remainder, several, such as Staffa and the Flannan Isles, are well known, despite their small size. Some 101 Scottish islands are currently permanently inhabited, of which 89 are offshore according to 2011 census data. Between 2001 and 2011, Scottish island populations as a whole grew by 4% to 103,702 although by 2022 the total had fallen back to just under 103,000.
The geology and geomorphology of the islands is varied. Some, such as Skye and Mull, are mountainous, while others like Tiree and Sanday are relatively low-lying. Many have bedrock made from ancient Archaean Lewisian Gneiss which was formed 3 billion years ago; Shapinsay and other Orkney islands are formed from Old Red Sandstone, which is 400 million years old; and others, such as Rùm, from more recent Tertiary volcanoes. Many of the islands are swept by strong tides, and the Corryvreckan tide race between Scarba and Jura is one of the largest whirlpools in the world. Other strong tides are to be found in the Pentland Firth between mainland Scotland and Orkney, and another example is the "Grey Dog" between Scarba and Lunga. (More on Scottish islands...)
Selected picture
Neist Point Lighthouse on Skye was designed by David Alan Stevenson and dates from 1909Credit: Lionel Ulmer
The Corryvreckan Whirlpool in the narrow Gulf of Corryvreckan between Jura and ScarbaCredit: Walter Baxter
Eilean Donan Castle at the confluence of three sea lochs, Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch AlshCredit: Diliff
Wildflowers in machair, a coastal dune grassland found in the Outer Hebrides and elsewhereCredit: Jon Thomson
The tied island of St Ninian's Isle is joined to the Shetland Mainland by the largest tombolo in the UKCredit: ThoWi
The Neolithic farmstead of Knap of Howar on Papa Westray, Orkney, dates from 3700 BC and might be the oldest surviving stone dwelling in northern EuropeCredit: Me677
Barra Airport is the only one in the world to use a beach as a regular runwayCredit: Steve Houldsworth
Alasdair Crotach MacLeod is the first McLeod not to be buried on Iona; his tomb on Harris dates from 1528, and is among the finest of this period in ScotlandCredit: Gvdwiele
Blackhouses were the traditional form of house across the Hebrides and the Highlands; this example is at Arnol, LewisCredit: LornaMCampbell
Kilarrow Parish Church, known as the Round Church, is a Georgian building in Bowmore on IslayCredit: Ronsteenvoorden
Rubha nan Gall lighthouse, Tobermory, Mull, built in 1857 by David and Thomas Stevenson, with a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry in the backgroundCredit: Colin
Skye Bridge, opened in 1995; the toll was lifted in 2004Credit: Gene Selkov
Aerial view of the ruins of a hermitage on CannaCredit: Peter Van den Bossche
The 1st-century Dun Carloway on Lewis is a well-preserved example of an Iron Age broch, a type of complex Atlantic roundhouse only found in ScotlandCredit: Morris R. Maciver
Shetland mouse-ear, a rare plant species unique to Shetland and found only on two serpentine hills in the Keen of Hamar reserve on the island of UnstCredit: Melvin Grey
The cliffs of Eshaness, North Mainland, ShetlandCredit: ThoWi
The Bruichladdich distillery, one of eight on Islay; single-malt whisky is a major product of the islandsCredit: Bdcl1881
The Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm, Orkney was built from two Nissen huts by Italian prisoners of war during World War 2; the interior frescoes are by Domenico ChiocchettiCredit: Renata
White-tailed eagle fishing off Mull, one of several islands to which the birds have been successfully re-introducedCredit: Jacob Spinks
Duart Castle, a 13th-century castle on Mull, the historical seat of Clan MacleanCredit: Philippe Giabbanelli
The ferry from Glenelg to Kylerhea on Skye has run for 400 years; the present boat, MV Glenachulish, is the only hand-operated turntable ferry still in operationCredit: Wojsyl
Baile Mòr, the village on IonaCredit: Clydecoast
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Selected island group
The Islands of the Forth are a group of small islands located in the Firth of Forth and in the estuary of the River Forth on the east coast of Scotland. Most of the group lie in the open waters of the firth, between the Lothians and Fife, with the majority to the east of the city of Edinburgh. Two islands lie further west in the river estuary.
The islands have a varied geology and history; over the centuries, several have had both ecclesiastical connections and a history of involvement in military occupations. Various lighthouses and other aids to navigation have been erected on the islands and skerries — one of these dates to the 17th century. But only one of the islands still has year-round human inhabitants. The area has diverse bird and sea life. The scientific name for the northern gannet was chosen in recognition of this bird's connection with the Bass Rock.
There are only a few islands off the coast of eastern Scotland, and most of them of any significant size are included in this group. (Full article...)
News
Selected fauna
The Highland (Scottish Gaelic: Bò Ghàidhealach) (Scots: Hieland Kye) is a Scottish breed of cattle. It originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Western Islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed – often referred to as 'rustic' – able to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region. The first herd-book dates from 1885; two types – a smaller island type, usually black, and a larger mainland type, usually dun – were registered as a single breed. It is reared primarily for beef, and has been exported to several other countries. (Full article...)
Selected history & culture article
The Kingdom of the Isles was a Norse–Gaelic kingdom comprising the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries. It is also called Sodor or the Sudreys, from its Old Norse name Suðreyjar, or "Southern Isles"; as distinct from the Norðreyjar or Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Some of its later rulers were referred to as kings of Mann and the Isles. The historical record is incomplete, and the kingdom was not a continuous entity throughout the whole period. At times it was independent of outside control, although for much of the period the Isles were a Norwegian dependency and its rulers had overlords in Norway, Orkney, or Ireland. At times there also appear to have been competing claims for all or parts of the territory. The islands have a total land area of over 8,300 square kilometres (3,205 sq mi) and extend for more than 500 kilometres (310 mi) from north to south.
Viking influence in the area began in the late 8th century. There is no doubt that the Uí Ímair (Ivar) dynasty played a prominent role in this early period, but the records for the dates and details of its rulers are speculative until the mid-10th century. Hostility between the Kings of the Isles and the rulers of Ireland, and intervention by the crown of Norway (either directly or through their vassal the Earl of Orkney) were recurring themes.
An invasion by Magnus Barefoot in the 1090s resulted in a brief period of direct Norwegian rule over the kingdom, but soon the descendants of Godred Crovan re-asserted a further period of largely independent overlordship. This came to an end with the rise of Somerled, on whose death in 1164 the kingdom was split in two. Just over a century later, the Isles were transferred from Norwegian overlordship to the Kingdom of Scotland, following the 1266 Treaty of Perth. Most of the territory continued as the Scottish Lordship of the Isles and Diocese of the Isles. (Full article...)
Selected island
Mingulay (Scottish Gaelic: Miughalaigh) is the second largest of the Bishop's Isles in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Located 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) south of Barra, it is known for an extensive Gaelic oral tradition incorporating folklore, song and stories and its important seabird populations, including puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, and razorbills, which nest in the sea-cliffs, amongst the highest in the British Isles.
There are Iron Age remains, and the culture of the island was influenced by early Christianity and the Vikings. Between the 15th and 19th centuries Mingulay was part of the lands of Clan MacNeil of Barra, but subsequently suffered at the hands of absentee landlords.
After two thousand years or more of continuous habitation, the island was abandoned by its Gaelic-speaking residents in 1912 and has remained uninhabited since. It is no longer used for grazing sheep. The island is also associated with the "Mingulay Boat Song", although that was composed in 1938. The National Trust for Scotland has owned Mingulay since 2000. (Full article...)
Did you know?
- ... that prehistoric Orkney has provided so many ancient ruins (example pictured) that one of the islands in the archipelago has been described as "the Egypt of the North"?
- ... that according to a mediaeval chronicle, saga, and later clan tradition, Páll, son of Bálki blinded and castrated the son of a Manx king—a son who would in time become king himself?
- ... that Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough shot a film near Pennyghael on the Isle of Mull?
- ... that Alasdair Crotach MacLeod is said to have prayed for six hours prior to ordering the massacre of almost the entire population of the Hebridean island of Eigg?
Selected portrait
Puffins and guillemots on Lunga in the Treshnish Isles, with Bac Mòr (known as Dutchman's Cap for its distinctive shape) in the backgroundCredit: Simaron
Seals hauled out by Lyrie Geo on HoyCredit: Claire Pegrum
The North Carr Beacon at low tide; the unlit beacon was built between 1813 and 1821 by Robert Stevenson to warn shipping of the North Carr Reef near Fife NessCredit: Kathrinpassig
Columba was a 6th-century Irish-born saint who spread Christianity in Scotland and founded Iona Abbey, where he is commemorated in this stained-glass windowCredit: Vegansoldier
The 8th-century Kildalton Cross, Islay, one of the best-preserved Celtic crosses in ScotlandCredit: Tom Richardson
The Standing Stones of Stenness, near Stromness, Orkney, started by 3100 BC and possibly Britain's oldest henge siteCredit: Fantoman400
Scottish Gaelic speakers in the 2011 census; the Outer Hebrides, Tiree, Raasay, Skye and Lismore have the highest proportion of speakersCredit: SkateTier
Selected geography article
The Bell Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Angus, Scotland, is the world's oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse. It was built between 1807 and 1810 by Robert Stevenson on the Bell Rock (also known as Inchcape) in the North Sea, 11 miles (18 km) east of the Firth of Tay. Standing 35 metres (115 ft) tall, its light is visible from 35 statute miles (56 km) inland.
The masonry work on which the lighthouse rests was constructed to such a high standard that it has not been replaced or adapted in 200 years. The lamps and reflectors were replaced in 1843; the original ones are now in the lighthouse at Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland, where they are currently on display. The working of the lighthouse has been automated since 24 October 1988. The Northern Lighthouse Board, which has had its headquarters at 84 George Street in Edinburgh since 1832, remotely monitors the light.
The lighthouse previously operated in tandem with a shore station, the Bell Rock Signal Tower, built in 1813 at the mouth of Arbroath harbour. Today this building houses the Signal Tower Museum, a visitor centre that offers a detailed history of the lighthouse.
Because of the engineering challenges that were overcome to build the lighthouse, it has been described as one of the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World. (Full article...)
Selected biography
John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, KT, FRS (10 August 1793 – 18 March 1848), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1794 and 1814, was a wealthy Scottish aristocrat and industrialist in Georgian and early Victorian Britain. He developed the coal and iron industries across South Wales and built the Cardiff Docks.
Bute's father, John, Lord Mount Stuart, died a few months after he was born and as a young child he was brought up first by his mother, the former Lady Elizabeth McDouall-Crichton, and later by his paternal grandfather, John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute. He travelled widely across Europe before attending Cambridge University. He contracted an eye condition and remained partially sighted for the rest of his life.
Having inherited large estates across Britain, he married his first wife, Lady Maria North, in 1818, and together they lived a relatively secluded life in Mount Stuart House in Scotland, one of Bute's four seats. Bute was dour but industrious, with a flair for land management. He focused his daily routine around extensive correspondence with his estate managers, making biennial tours of his lands around the country. The couple did not conceive any children, and Maria died in 1841. Bute remarried four years later, to Lady Sophia Rawdon-Hastings, and she gave birth to Bute's only child, John, in 1847.
Bute was a member of the House of Lords and controlled the votes of several members of the House of Commons. He was a political and religious conservative, a follower of the Duke of Wellington, but rarely took part in national debates unless his own commercial interests were involved. Early on, Bute realised the vast wealth that lay in the South Wales coalfields and set about commercially exploiting them through local ironmasters and colliers. (Full article...)
Related portals
Selected panorama
Small freshwater islets on Loch AssyntCredit: Vincent
Iona AbbeyCredit: Oliver-Bonjoch
Eilean DonanCredit: Stefan Krause
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Categories
The main category is Islands of Scotland, with subcategories
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