Treshnish Isles

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Scottish island The Treshnish Isles are an archipelago of small islands and skerries, lying west of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland. They are part of the Inner Hebrides. Trips to the Treshnish Isles operate from Ulva Ferry, Tobermory, Ardnamurchan and Tiree.

Geography

The archipelago extends over a distance of roughly Template:Convert, from the island of Template:Lang in the south (towards Template:Lang) to the north-east. The largest island in the group, Lunga, is Template:Convert west of Gometra, Template:Convert south-west of Template:Lang (on the Isle of Mull), Template:Convert south-east of Coll, and Template:Convert north-west of Staffa.<ref name=OS>Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (1:50 000) "Iona & West Mull". Sheet 48</ref>

Other relatively large islands in the group are Template:Lang, Fladda and Template:Lang. There are numerous small skerries, particularly north of Lunga. All the islands are of volcanic origin.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 106</ref>

Island	Gaelic name<ref name=TIM5/>	Area (ha)<ref name=TIM5/>	Highest point (m)<ref name=OS25>Ordnance Survey Explorer Map (1:25 000) "Isle of Mull North & Tobermory". Sheet 374.</ref>
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Lunga	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Fladda	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts
Template:Lang	Template:Lang	Template:Nts	Template:Nts

History

There are several possible duns on the islands of Iron Age origin. Little is known of the early history, although these prominent landmarks would have been significant waypoints for the Norse settlers during their conquest in the early years of the Kingdom of the Isles,<ref name=TIM5>Treshnish Isles Management Plan p. 5</ref> which lasted from the 9th to the 13th centuries. There are remains on Lunga of a village of blackhouses abandoned in 1857.<ref>The Scottish Islands - Haswell-Smith (2008) p.108</ref>

Cairn na Burgh Mòr has the remains of a fort, on the site of an earlier Norse building, thought to have belonged to the chief of Clan MacDougall. Until 1354, it marked the division between the "Nordreys", the northern isles, and the "Sudreys", or southern isles. The smaller island of Cairn na Burgh Beag has the ruins of a fort occupied by the MacLeans of Duart during the Jacobite rising of 1715.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The Isles were purchased in 1938 by explorer and naturalist Col. Niall Rankin and they were sold to the Hebridean Trust in 2000.<ref>The Scottish Islands - Haswell-Smith (2008) p.106</ref> The Trust are guardians of the islands to protect them and the wildlife and to monitor and study the ecology and archaeology.<ref>Hebridean Trust website</ref> In June 2023, the islands were placed under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> allowing the Hebridean Trust to concentrate on community projects on Tiree.

Due to the beauty and remoteness of the Isles and the abundance of wildlife, particularly the puffins, they are very popular with tourists who visit by boat, generally to Lunga, for day-trips during the summer.

Etymology

Template:Lang is a Gaelic name of unknown meaning that includes the Old Norse root Template:Lang, meaning 'headland'.<ref>Mac an Tailleir (2003) p. 114</ref>

Template:Lang is also known as "The Dutchman's Cap" in English due to its shape. Template:Lang is from the Gaelic Template:Lang, with Template:Lang meaning 'bank' or 'dune' and Template:Lang simply being a diminutive in contrast to Template:Lang. Template:Lang is also known as Template:Lang in Gaelic, which means 'dune of the Ross' and is a reference to the shape of the island when framed against the Ross of Mull. Lunga is probably from the Old Norse Template:Lang, meaning 'longship island'.<ref name=TIM5/><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 105</ref> Template:Lang and Template:Lang are Gaelic names meaning 'Irishman's skerry' and 'castle skerry' respectively. Template:Lang means 'cairn of the large fort' and Template:Lang is thus 'cairn of the small fort'.<ref name=TIM5/>

The name Fladda originates from the Old Norse for 'flat island'.<ref>Mac an Tailleir (2003) p. 50</ref>

Natural history and conservation

The Treshnish Isles are part of the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> due to their importance for breeding seabirds and a marine Special Area of Conservation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They are also known for their Atlantic grey seals and ruined castles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Treshnish Isles from above Port Haunn.jpg	File:Treshnisheast.JPG
The Treshnish Isles from above Port Haunn on Mull. Nearest are Template:Lang and Template:Lang. Behind are the low flat island of Fladda and the tallest island, Lunga, which obscures Template:Lang and Template:Lang beyond.	The Treshnish Isles from the east as seen from Template:Lang. From left to right: (Template:Lang), Template:Lang, Lunga, Fladda, Template:Lang, Template:Lang.

See also

• List of islands of Scotland

References

• Template:Haswell-Smith
• Mac an Tailleir, Iain (2003) "Ainmean-àite le buidheachas/Placenames". Scottish Parliament/Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. (pdf) Retrieved 12 May 2012.
• Treshnish Isles Management Plan 2001-11 (2001) The Hebridean Trust.

External links

• Treshnish Isles - National Trust for Scotland