Island Macaskin

Last updated

Island Macaskin
Scottish Gaelic nameEilean MhicAsgain
Location
Argyll and Bute UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Island Macaskin
Island Macaskin shown within Argyll and Bute
OS grid reference NR786994
Coordinates 56°08′N5°34′W / 56.14°N 5.56°W / 56.14; -5.56
Physical geography
Island group Islay
Area50 hectares (0.19 sq mi) [1] [2]
Area rank199= [3]
Highest elevation65 m
Administration
Council area Argyll and Bute
Country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Demographics
Largest settlementMain hut
Lymphad3.svg
References [4] [5] [6]

Island Macaskin or MacAskin (Scottish Gaelic : Eilean MhicAsgain) is an island in Loch Craignish, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is owned by the Jenkin family and has been since 1904.

Contents

History and wildlife

The island was formerly inhabited, and unusually for the Scottish islands, is quite well wooded, with some mature trees scattered about. It appears to have been abandoned in the 1880s, but there is ample evidence of human habitation on it, including a number of walls, a sheep pen, and a lime kiln. [6]

A number of wild flowers grow here, though not as many as on nearby Eilean Rìgh.

Geography and geology

The east coast of Island Macaskin East coast of Island Macaskin.jpg
The east coast of Island Macaskin

The island is long and narrow, aligned southwest–northeast, parallel to the nearby shore of the mainland. It is basically a ridge, with the west being higher than the east. The western side is dominated by the steep sides to the islands central ridge that reaches a height of 65 metres (213 ft). A line of skerries extend from the south of the island into the Sound of Jura. [1]

The geology is metamorphic apidiorite with some Dalriadan quartzite at the south end. [6]

It is surrounded by various smaller islands including Eilean nan Gabhar, Eilean nan Coinean, Garbh Rèisa, Rèisa an t-Sruith, Rèisa MhicPhàidein and Eilean na Cille.

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 "Overview of Island Macaskin". Gazetteer for Scotland . Retrieved 16 December 2007.
  2. Both Haswell-Smith (2004) and the Gazetteer for Scotland state the area is 50 ha. However, estimates from Ordnance Survey maps suggest it may be in the 60-70 ha range.
  3. Area and population ranks: there are c.300 islands over 20ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  4. General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands Archived 2007-05-25 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  5. "Get-a-Map". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 14 September 2009
  6. 1 2 3 Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. pp. 56–58. ISBN   978-1-84195-454-7.

56°8′11″N5°33′46″W / 56.13639°N 5.56278°W / 56.13639; -5.56278


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luing</span> Island in Scotland

Luing is one of the Slate Islands, Firth of Lorn, in the west of Argyll in Scotland, about 16 miles (26 km) south of Oban. The island has an area of 1,430 hectares and is bounded by several small skerries and islets. It has a population of around 200 people, mostly living in Cullipool, Toberonochy, and Blackmillbay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronay</span>

Ronay is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, which lies a short distance off the east coast of Grimsay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Dubh Mòr</span> Uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland

Eilean Dubh Mòr is an uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It lies at the mouth of the Firth of Lorn, between the islands of Lunga and Garbh Eileach. The area of the island has been measured variously—at 50 hectares by Livingstone and 65 hectares by Haswell-Smith, the latter including the nearby islet of Eilean Dubh Beag, which is joined to Eilean Dubh Mòr at low tide.

Lunga is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The "Grey Dog" tidal race, which runs in the sea channel to the south, reaches 8 knots (15 km/h) in full flood. The name "Lunga" is derived from the Old Norse for "isle of the longships', but almost all other place names are Gaelic in origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Island, Summer Isles</span>

Horse Island is an uninhabited island in the Summer Isles, in the west of Scotland.

Ceann Ear is the largest island in the Monach or Heisgeir group off North Uist in north west Scotland. It is 203 hectares in size and connected by sandbanks to Ceann Iar via Sibhinis at low tide. It is said that it was at one time possible to walk all the way to Baleshare, and on to North Uist, 5 miles away at low tide. In the 16th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed this away.

Gunna is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Oldany Island is an uninhabited island in Assynt, Sutherland, north-west Scotland.

Na h-Eileanan Iasgaich comprise a small uninhabited archipelago in Loch Boisdale, in the south east of the island of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The individual islands are separated from one another at high tide, but connected to one another at low tide,. They are around 50 ha in extent and over 20m at their highest point. Their boundaries are ill-defined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernera Island</span> Tidal island off Lismore, in Argyll, Scotland

Bernera Island or simply Bernera is a tidal island off Lismore, in Argyll, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Mhic Chrion</span> Island in Scotland, United Kingdom

Eilean Mhic Chrion is a tidal island sheltering Ardfern in Loch Craignish, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Trodday</span>

Eilean Trodday is an island in The Minch just off the north coast of the Trotternish peninsula of Skye in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Tigh</span>

Eilean Tigh is a tidal island in the Sound of Raasay of Scotland, that lies between Rona and Raasay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Meadhonach</span>

Eilean Meadhonach is the second largest of the Crowlin Islands, located in the Inner Sound off the island of Skye, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean Loain</span>

Eilean Loain is a small island in Loch Sween and one of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eilean dà Mhèinn</span>

Eilean dà Mhèinn, is a small inhabited island in Loch Crinan and one of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.