View source for Ailsa Craig

{{Short description|Island west of Ayrshire, Scotland}}
{{About|the Scottish island|the Australian writer|Ailsa Craig (journalist)|5=Ailsa (disambiguation){{!}}Ailsa}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox Scottish island
| coordinates = {{coord|55|15|07|N|05|06|59|W|display=inline,title}}
| location_map = Scotland South Ayrshire
| caption = Ailsa Craig shown within South Ayrshire
| GridReference = NX019997
| celtic name = Creag Ealasaid
| area = {{cvt|99|ha}}<ref name=HS2/>
| area rank = 150=<ref name=HS2/>
| Image = Ailsa Craig 2017-05-17.jpg
| ImageCaption = Ailsa Craig from the southeast
| highest elevation = {{cvt|338|m}}<br />(a [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]])
| Population = 0<ref>{{NRS1C}}</ref>
| population rank = 
| main settlement = 
| island group = [[Firth of Clyde]]
| local authority = [[South Ayrshire]]
| references = <ref name=HS2>Haswell-Smith (2004) p.2</ref><ref name=OS>{{Ordnance Survey |access-date=21 August 2013}}</ref><ref name=Mac3>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p.3</ref>
}}

'''Ailsa Craig''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|l|s|ə}}; {{langx|gd|Creag Ealasaid}}) is an island of {{cvt|99|ha}} in the outer [[Firth of Clyde]], {{cvt|16|km|nmi|frac=2|abbr=off}} west of mainland [[Scotland]], upon which [[granite|microgranite]] has long been [[Quarry|quarried]] to make [[curling]] stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the remains of a magmatic [[pluton]] formed during the same period of igneous activity as magmatic rocks on the nearby [[Isle of Arran]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=British Geological Survey |date=1987 |title=Geology, petrology and geochemistry of Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire |url=http://pubs.bgs.ac.uk/publications.html?pubID=B01276 |journal=BGS Reports |volume=16 |issue=9 |access-date=2 September 2020 |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503061843/http://pubs.bgs.ac.uk/publications.html?pubID=B01276 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The island, colloquially known as "[[List of ethnic slurs#P|Paddy's]] Milestone" because it is halfway between [[Belfast]] and [[Glasgow]],<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |last=BBC News |title=Ailsa Craig: Asking price reduced in Irish Sea island sale |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21878099 |access-date=23 May 2013 |date=21 March 2013 |archive-date=1 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601210618/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21878099 |url-status=live }}</ref> was a haven for [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] during the [[Scottish Reformation]] in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary, providing a home for huge numbers of [[gannet]]s and an increasing number of [[puffin]]s.

==Etymology==
The name ''Ailsa'' comes from the Gaelic ''Allasa(n)'', earlier ''Aldasain'',<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Morgan|first=Ailig Peadar|date=2013|title=Ethnonyms in the Place-Names of Scotland and the Border Counties of England – Appendix D|url=https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/4164/AiligMorganPhDThesis_AppendixD.pdf|degree=PhD|publisher=St Andrews University|page=11}}</ref> which is of obscure origin.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mills|first=A. D.|title=A Dictionary of British Place Names|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2011|isbn=9780191739446|entry=Ailsa Craig|entry-url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199609086.001.0001/acref-9780199609086-e-170|entry-url-access=subscription}}</ref> It has been suggested that it represents a contraction of ''allt Shasann'', meaning "cliff of the Saxons" (cf. ''airer Saxan'', "coastland of the Saxon", a name applied to southwestern Scotland in an early Gaelic text).<ref>{{cite journal|last=Clancy|first=Thomas Owen|date=2008|title=The Gall-Ghàidheil and Galloway|journal=The Journal of Scottish Name Studies|volume=2|page=43|url=https://clog.glasgow.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JSNS/article/view/178}}</ref> The "Saxons" in question would be the [[Northumbrians]], whose territory at one time extended as far north as the Forth and Clyde.

The island is known in modern Gaelic as ''Creag Ealasaid'' (Elizabeth's rock) or ''Ealasaid a' Chuain'' (Elizabeth of the ocean); these, however, represent [[folk etymological]] alterations of ''Allasa'', the "true name" of the island, which remained in use in [[Isle of Arran|Arran]], the nearest Gaelic-speaking district, into the 20th century. The same applies to ''Carraig Alastair'' (Alexander's rock), an Irish name for Ailsa Craig.<ref>{{cite book|title=Guthan o na Beanntaibh: Voices from the Hills|date=1927|editor-last=MacDonald|editor-first=John|location=Glasgow|publisher=An Comunn Gàidhealach (the Highland Association)|chapter=Some Notes on Celtic Place-Names|last=Robertston|first=Charles M.|pages=234 f|url=https://leabharlann.smo.uhi.ac.uk/_tasg-lann/mactalla/additional-files/guthonabeanntaibh/guthanonabeanntaibh.pdf}}</ref>

The island is sometimes known as "Paddy's Milestone",<ref name=Mac3/><ref>[http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0916 PADDY'S MILESTONE 1947 Film] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113023200/http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/0916 |date=13 November 2016 }}. National Library of Scotland.</ref> being approximately the halfway point of the sea journey from [[Belfast]] to [[Glasgow]], a traditional route of emigration for many Irish labourers going to Scotland to seek work. The [[Bass Rock]] is sometimes nicknamed "the Ailsa Craig of the East",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leithhistory.co.uk/2007/11/29/the-bass-rock/ |title=The Bass Rock |publisher=History of Leith |access-date=20 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705180113/http://www.leithhistory.co.uk/2007/11/29/the-bass-rock/ |archive-date=5 July 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> although its prominence in the [[Firth of Forth]] is not as great as that of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde.

===Placenames===
A number of features and places on the island have acquired names, Gaelic in most cases, such as Craigna'an (cliff of birds); Trammins (place of Elder trees); Balvar (big round cliff); Garryloo (rough hill) and Ashydoo (black hill).<ref>Lawson (1895) p. 9</ref> The Swine Cave may take its name from a time when the Earl of Cassillis received part of his rent in hogs from the island.<ref>Lawson (1895) p. 14</ref>

==Geography and geology==
[[File:Ailsa Craig OS OpenData map.png|right|thumb|Map of Ailsa Craig]]
The island is approximately {{cvt|16|km|nmi|frac=2|abbr=off}} west of [[Girvan]]; it is {{cvt|4|km|smi|frac=2|abbr=off}}<ref name=HS3>Haswell-Smith (2004) p.3</ref> in circumference and rises to a height of {{cvt|340|m}}.<ref name=OS/> The island is part of the administrative district of [[South Ayrshire]], in the ancient parish of [[Dailly]].

Geologically, Ailsa Craig comprises the remains of a [[Paleogene|Palaeogene]] [[pluton]]. Its prominence is due to the [[Granite|microgranite]]'s hardness, making it more resistant to [[erosion]] than the surrounding [[Permian]] and [[Triassic]] [[Sedimentary rock|sedimentary]] rocks into which it was intruded. The microgranite is itself intruded by a series of [[olivine]] [[Diabase|dolerite]] [[Dike (geology)|dykes]]. Ailsa Craig, along with neighbouring Arran, is part of the [[North Atlantic Igneous Province]], a widespread system of magmatic rocks formed during the initial stages of the opening of the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic Ocean]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trewin |first=N. H. |title=The Geology of Scotland |publisher=Geological Society |year=2002 |isbn=9781862393905}}</ref> Boulders of distinctive Ailsa Craig microgranite known as [[Glacial erratic|erratics]] were transported by glaciers as far afield as [[County Donegal]] and [[Pembrokeshire]].<ref name=":0" />

The microgranite's unusual composition and crystalline texture make it particularly hard and resistant to impact, making this rock a favoured material for the manufacture of [[Curling#Curling stone|curling stones]].<ref>[http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/girvanac/SAYR/ailsa.htm Ailsa Craig] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211055502/http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/girvanac/SAYR/ailsa.htm |date=11 February 2009 }} Retrieved 17 October 2007</ref> The "blue hone" variety is now used for the lower part of the stone which contacts the ice (the running band) while the "common green" variety is used to make the body of the stone (including the striking band).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The World's Best Curling Stones by Kays Scotland |url=https://www.kayscurling.com/kays-curling-stones.html |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=www.kayscurling.com |archive-date=14 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220514005757/https://www.kayscurling.com/kays-curling-stones.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A third variety, "red hone", is similar to blue hone but has now been exhausted.

==Facilities==
The only surviving buildings on the island are the [[Ailsa Craig Lighthouse|lighthouse]] on its east coast facing the Scottish mainland, a ruined [[Tower houses in Britain and Ireland|towerhouse]] built by [[Clan Hamilton]] to protect the area from [[Philip II of Spain]] in the 16th century,<ref name="primelocation1"/> and the old quarry manager's house that is used by the [[RSPB]].

{{clear left}}
The island has a fresh-water spring but no electricity, gas, sewage or telephone connections.<ref name="primelocation1">{{cite web |url=http://media.primelocation.com/KFGR/KFED/KFED999000362/BROCH_01.PDF |title=Ailsa Craig |publisher=Media.primelocation.com |access-date=26 August 2012}}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The chief well on the island lies above 'the Loups', and this was used by the Northern Lighthouse Board which built a cistern there and piped the water to the [[lighthouse]] complex. The 'Horse Well' was located behind the gasworks; the 'Castle Well' stands above Ailsa Castle, and finally the Garry Loch sits higher up and once supplied water to the tenant's cottage.<ref>Lawson (1895) p. 62</ref>

Fishermen seem to have used the island for centuries, first being noted in 1549<ref>Lawson (1895) p.11</ref> and it is recorded that they even at one time slept beneath sails stretched over hollows on the beach.<ref>Lawson (1895)p.15</ref>

A row of fishermen's cottages was under construction in the 1840s. However, the main developer died, and the project was abandoned, with the area used instead as a walled kitchen garden until the gasworks was built.<ref>Lawson (1895) p. 34</ref>

==Owners==
The island seems to have been a part of the Barony of Knockgarron that lay in the Parish of [[Dailly]] and the then holder, Duncan of [[Turnberry, Ayrshire|Turnberry]], [[Earl of Carrick]] established the [[Crossraguel Abbey|abbey of Crossraguel]] and endowed it with the island of Ailsa Craig to "provide for their table".<ref>Lawson (1895) p.20</ref> The barony passed through several hands until it became the property of the third [[Earl of Cassilis|Earl of Cassillis]] in 1548.<ref name="Lawson 1895 p.21"/>

Apart from {{cvt|2|ha|acre|0}} sold to the Northern Lighthouse Board in 1883,<ref name="Lawson 1895 p.21">Lawson (1895) p.21</ref> since the 16th century the island has belonged to the Earls of Cassillis.<ref name=BBC/> In 1831, [[Archibald Kennedy, 1st Marquess of Ailsa|Archibald Kennedy, 12th Earl of Cassillis]], was created the first [[Marquess of Ailsa]], taking the title from Ailsa Craig.

In May 2011, it was announced that the island was for sale by [[Charles Kennedy, 8th Marquess of Ailsa]], with an asking price of £2,500,000, but as of March 2013 it was unsold and the price was "offers over £1,500,000".<ref name=BBC/><ref name="primelocation2">{{cite web |url=http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-for-sale/details/id/KFED999000362/ |title=UK property for sale |publisher=Primelocation.co.uk |access-date=1 March 2013 |archive-date=21 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821233910/http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-for-sale/details/id/KFED999000362/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13292953 "Ailsa Craig island in Firth of Clyde put up for sale"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716174831/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13292953 |date=16 July 2018 }}. BBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2013.</ref> It was reported in December 2013 that an unnamed environmental trust had placed a formal bid,<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/07/ailsa-craig-gannets-puffins-clyde |title=Ailsa Craig, granite jewel of the Firth of Clyde, finally finds a buyer |first=Kevin |last=McKenna |date=7 December 2013 |work=The Guardian |access-date=29 August 2016 |archive-date=15 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915081509/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/dec/07/ailsa-craig-gannets-puffins-clyde |url-status=live }}</ref> and in April 2014 the [[National Trust for Scotland]] was reported to be considering a bid.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13154289.Trust_may_buy_Aisla_Craig_with_US_help/ |title=Trust may buy Aisla Craig with US help |date=7 April 2014 |work=The Herald |access-date=29 August 2016 |archive-date=11 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911101113/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13154289.Trust_may_buy_Aisla_Craig_with_US_help/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2020, the island was still owned by [[David Kennedy, 9th Marquess of Ailsa]] and was leased by the [[Royal Society for the Protection of Birds]] until 2050.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/18551172.mauchline-firms-plans-extract-rock-ailsa-craig-submitted-council/ |title=Major plans to extract rock from Ailsa Craig submitted to council |website=Ayr Advertiser |date=30 June 2020 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212130149/https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/18551172.mauchline-firms-plans-extract-rock-ailsa-craig-submitted-council/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.transceltic.com/blog/plans-submitted-extract-granite-scotlands-ailsa-craig |title=Plans submitted to extract granite from Scotland's Ailsa Craig |first=Douglas |last=MacQueen |date=30 June 2020 |website=Transceltic - Home of the Celtic nations |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212020047/https://www.transceltic.com/blog/plans-submitted-extract-granite-scotlands-ailsa-craig |url-status=live }}</ref>

Four cottages, a shed, a railway, a winch house, the main pier, and an area of adjacent land are now in the ownership of the Scottish Indian businessman [[Bobby Sandhu]]. Mr Sandhu purchased this registered title buildings and land for £85,000 from the Argyll Group plc.<ref>https://scotlis.ros.gov.uk/property-summary/AYR24617/1 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2025}}</ref> Mr Sandhu stated he wished to build a five-star hotel on the land (Title: AYR24617). However, the planning system apparently prevented this development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Major plans to extract rock from Ailsa Craig submitted to council |url=https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/18551172.mauchline-firms-plans-extract-rock-ailsa-craig-submitted-council/ |access-date=2021-07-20 |website=Ayr Advertiser |date=30 June 2020 |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212130149/https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/18551172.mauchline-firms-plans-extract-rock-ailsa-craig-submitted-council/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Ailsa Craig, Clyde, 1840s..jpg|right|thumb|Ailsa Craig as drawn in the 1840s]]
[[File:Dunure Castle, Ayrshire, 1840.jpg|right|thumb|Ailsa Craig in the background with [[Dunure]] in 1840]]
In 1590 the shipping of the Clyde was disrupted by pirates who were said to be Highlanders, {{lang|sco|quha lyis about Ailsay}}.<ref>Paterson (1863) p. 14</ref>

Margaret Girvan ran a tearoom<ref name=goat/> in a wooden building that stood next to the tacksman's cottage,<ref>Tait, (2005) p.13</ref> famed for its pristine white table cloths and fresh scones. Girvan kept goats in stone-built goat rees or pens on the good grazing near Garry Loch. The feral billy goats were wont to interfere with these nanny goats and this was another reason for their demise.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacQueen |first=Douglas |date=2020-06-30 |title=Plans submitted to extract granite from Scotland's Ailsa Craig |url=https://www.transceltic.com/blog/plans-submitted-extract-granite-scotlands-ailsa-craig |access-date=2021-07-20 |website=Transceltic - Home of the Celtic nations |language=en |archive-date=12 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201212020047/https://www.transceltic.com/blog/plans-submitted-extract-granite-scotlands-ailsa-craig |url-status=live }}</ref>

An annual hunt of the [[Northern gannet|solan geese]] or gannets took place in the days of [[Robert Burns]] as the flesh was considered a delicacy.<ref name=p>Purdie p.22</ref> Robert Burns's maternal uncle Samuel Burns was involved in the solan goose trade.<ref name=p/>

===Ailsa Castle===
The {{cvt|12|m|adj=on}} high ruins of a 3-storey castle that stands on the eastern side of the island was built in the late 1500s by the [[Clan Hamilton|Hamilton Family]] to protect the island from [[Philip II of Spain|King Philip II of Spain]].<ref name="primelocation1"/><ref>[http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/60964/details/ailsa+craig+castle/ "Ailsa Craig, Castle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129080918/http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/60964/details/ailsa+craig+castle/ |date=29 November 2014 }}. Canmore. Retrieved 15 November 2014.</ref> The island was used as a prison during the 18th and 19th centuries. The castle has two vaulted storeys and an oven is located in a cellar with evidence of a spiral stairway that once ran to the top of the tower. Three cinquefoils arranged in a 'V' shape are carved on the tower and indicate that the Hamiltons were linked with the structure. There are indications of an adjoining building that ran to the north.<ref>Tait (2005) p.37</ref>

===Spanish invasion===
Ailsa Craig was a haven for [[Roman Catholic]]s during the [[Scottish Reformation]]. In about 1587 the prominent Catholic, Lord [[Clan Maxwell|Maxwell]], landed on Ailsa while attempting to escape his pursuers and finding a fishing boat he attempted to reach [[Crossraguel Abbey]], but was captured.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 27</ref> In 1597 another Catholic supporter, [[Hugh Barclay of Ladyland]], took possession of Ailsa Craig which he was intent on using as a place of safety for Catholics to practise their faith, for provisioning and stopping off point for a Spanish invasion which would re-establish the Catholic faith in Scotland and a storehouse for provisioning the Catholic [[Earl of Tyrone]] in Ireland.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 29</ref>

Hugh was however discovered by [[The Reverend|The Rev.]] [[Andrew Knox (bishop)|Andrew Knox]], a Protestant minister (who later became both [[Bishop of the Isles|Lord Bishop of the Isles]] and [[Bishop of Raphoe (Church of Ireland)|Lord Bishop of Raphoe]]). Barclay thereafter deliberately drowned himself in the sea<ref>Pennant, Pages 217–218</ref> or did so accidentally whilst trying to escape.<ref name="Robertson6">Robertson, George (1823). ''A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame''. Vol.1. Pub. Irvine: Cunninghame press. pp. 72–73.</ref>
Another version states that Andrew Knox lay in wait for Hugh with nineteen others and ambushed him at the shingle beach with the result that he attempted to defend himself until he was forced back into the sea and drowned.<ref>Lawson (1895) p. 30</ref>

===Smuggling===
Beneath the Main Craig at the southern end of the island and {{convert|12|m}} above sea level is a cave named after the supposed smuggler MacNall. When the cave was being cleared of [[guano]] many years ago, two stone coffins were found, both containing human bones. The Rev. Roderick Lawson (1831–1907) thought that one of the interments might be MacNall himself, but no details of this individual have yet come to light. Ailsa Craig would have been an ideal place for the temporary hiding of contraband goods.<ref>Taot. p. 66</ref>

===Chapels===
The island had two chapels and [[Thomas Pennant]] who visited Ailsa Craig in 1772 recorded that the ruins of a small chapel were located near the landing place<ref>Pennant, P. 217</ref> and that another chapel (which he did not visit) was located on the summit of the island and was probably used by seamen to pray for safe voyages and returns.<ref>Pennant, Page 218</ref> Lawson sees this second chapel as being a myth.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 16</ref> When the lighthouse was being constructed, four stone coffins were found that may well have been associated with the first mentioned chapel, two at the tenant's house and two at the gasholder site.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 34</ref> The monks of [[Crossraguel Abbey]] once held the island and "places of prayer" are therefore to be expected especially with a garrisoned castle nearby; even the diminutive [[Lady Isle]] off [[Troon]] once had a chapel. The chapel was first mentioned, along with the castle, in 1580 by Sir [[James Balfour, Lord Pittendreich|James Balfour]]<!-- probably [[James Balfour, Lord Pittendreich]] -->.<ref>Lawson (1895) p.12</ref>

===Lighthouse, foghorns and gas works===
The Lighthouse was built between 1883 and 1886 by [[Thomas Stevenson]]; it is owned by the [[Northern Lighthouse Board]].<ref name="primelocation1"/>

The lighthouse was automated in 1990 and converted to solar electric power in 2001; the island has been uninhabited since automation in 1990.<ref name="primelocation1"/><ref>[http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/ailsacraig.htm Northern Lighthouse Board – Automation of lighthouse] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100223174214/http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/ailsacraig.htm |date=23 February 2010 }} Retrieved on 28 January 2008</ref> Ailsa Craig and its lighthouse feature extensively in Peter Hill's 2003 book ''[[Stargazing: Memoirs of a Young Lighthouse Keeper]]''.

Two substantial [[foghorn]]s with concrete housings were built in 1866, one at the north end of the island near the Swine Cave reached by 'the Loups' path<ref name=air>Tait (2005) p.25</ref> and the other at East Trammins on the south end. Both were powered by compressed air that was piped from the lighthouse, where a gas-powered compressor was housed until 1911 when oil-powered engines were installed.<ref name=oil>Tait(2005) p.26</ref> One of the compressed air pipelines can still be seen within 'the Loups' path that was constructed above it. The compressed air cylinders that held the required store of air are still prominent features, especially at the Trammins foghorn. Both foghorns were decommissioned in 1966 and a Tyfon fog signal was used until 1987 when improvements in ship navigation made it also redundant.<ref name=oil/>

The gasworks are still a prominent feature on the island and the cable-powered [[Tramway (industrial)|tramway]] was partly built to haul wagons full of coal up to it from the North Port. Two gasholders held the coal gas that powered both the compressed air pump and the lighthouse light, however in 1911 the light was converted to [[Incandescent light bulb|incandescent lighting]] which was powered by electricity.<ref name=bulb>Tait (2005) p.19</ref><ref>Tait(2005) p.24</ref> The gas works became redundant at this time. Lawson records that oil was used to produce the gas for the lighthouse light.<ref>Lawson (1895) p.76</ref>

===Railways===
[[File:Old tramway, Ailsa Craig - geograph.org.uk - 5644269.jpg|thumb|The tramway between the North Port and the lighthouse]]
Ailsa Craig had two quite separate rail transport systems: one dated from 1886 and supplied coal, oil fuel and provisions to the lighthouse and gas works via the North Port and later the New Jetty, and the other transported road stone from the quarries at Kennedy's Nags via the stone crusher to the Quarry Pier. The Northern Lighthouse Board's tramway had a section worked via a powered cableway that hauled wagons up from the North Port and later from the new jetty.

This well-built tram line is largely intact and has a gauge of [[3 ft gauge railways|914 mm (3 ft)]] with junction/points at the gas works and a further set of points that led to a siding that ran down parallel to the gable end of the gas works to presumably collect the coal ash for disposal. The main line runs on down to the lighthouse and its ancillary buildings, taking a right-angled bend to run parallel to the southern end of the lighthouse buildings block.<ref>Tait (2005) p.14</ref> This section of the line was worked by hand and at least two wagons remain at the site together with a set of spare wheels at the gas works.

[[File:Stone Crusher remnants at the South Foghorn, the Trammins, Ailsa Craig.JPG|thumb|Remnants of the roadstone crusher near the south foghorn]]
The mineral line was built by the Ailsa Craig Granite Company Ltd. in 1909 and ran from the quarry at Kennedy's Nags via the stone crusher near the south foghorn to the Quarry Pier.<ref name=Nags>Tait (2005) p. 28</ref> This crudely constructed narrow gauge line was mainly horse drawn, although wagons were also moved by hand or hauled up inclines by winding engines. The mineral railway at the quarry end had a least one siding and a mobile steam crane loaded the larger granite blocks into the wagons that were transported to the stone crusher at the Trammins near the south foghorn, smaller stones being loaded and even moved by hand.<ref name=Nags/>

Wagons or bogies were winched up to the substantial stone crusher and gravity was used to deliver the different grades of road stone to the waggons below that were then hauled by horses to the Quarry Pier via a line that ran in front of the lighthouse buildings and took a tight right-angled bend to run up the substantial stone-built incline to the storage area in preparation for delivery via sea to the mainland.<ref>Tait (2005) p.9</ref> [[Kerb]] stones and stone railway sleepers for sections of the [[Scotch gauge]] horse-drawn railway from Ardrossan to [[Benslie|Doura]] were also produced.

Photographs taken in the late 19th century show the horse-drawn wagons passing in front of the lighthouse and portray the substantial railway incline and storage area. At times the production outstripped the storage capacity and a photograph shows at least three piles of different grades of road stone stockpiled in front of the lighthouse enclosure. The track at the crusher had a siding that ran to the crusher and a set of points that led to the Quarry Pier main line.<ref>Tait (2005) p.30</ref>

The Ailsa Craig Granite Company was never a financially sound business and effectively closed in 1928.<ref name=Nags/> The course of the mineral line is still evident near the quarries as a linear embankment that ends below Kennedy's Nag. Various artefacts of the quarry enterprise remain, including concrete blocks at Kennedy's Nag and steel and concrete remnants of the stone crusher near the south foghorn.

== Curling stones ==
From the mid-nineteenth century the island has been quarried for its rare type of [[granite|micro-granite]] with [[riebeckite]] (known as "[[Ailsite]]"), which is used to make stones for the sport of [[curling]]. {{As of|2004}}, 60–70% of all curling stones in use were made from granite from the island<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_curling_stones.html National Geographic] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212450/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_curling_stones.html |date=3 March 2016 }} Retrieved on 19 July 2009</ref> and it is one of only two sources for all stones in the sport, the other being the [[Trefor, Gwynedd|Trefor]] Granite Quarry in Wales.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/26253664 |title=Sochi 2014: 10 things you didn't know about curling |work=BBC Sport |access-date=12 February 2018 |archive-date=19 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019185650/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/26253664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ailsa Craig produced two types of granite for curling, ''Blue Hone'' and ''Ailsa Craig Common Green''. ''Blue Hone'', which is unique to Ailsa Craig, has very low water absorption, which prevents the action of repeatedly freezing water from eroding the stone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anchoragecurling.com/evolution.htm |publisher=Anchorage Curling Club |title=About Curling/Stones |access-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415082409/http://www.anchoragecurling.com/evolution.htm |archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref> ''Ailsa Craig Common Green'' is a lesser quality granite than ''Blue Hone''. In the past, most curling stones were made from ''Blue Hone'' but the quarry is restricted by environmental conditions that exclude blasting.

[[Kays of Scotland]] has been making curling stones since 1851 and has the exclusive rights to the Ailsa Craig granite, granted by the [[Marquess of Ailsa]]. A "harvest" of Ailsa Craig granite by Kays took place in 2013, after a hiatus of 11 years; 2,000 tonnes were harvested, sufficient to fill anticipated orders until at least 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kaysofscotland.co.uk/news.php |title=News |publisher=Kays of Scotland |access-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226221740/http://www.kaysofscotland.co.uk/news.php |archive-date=26 February 2013}}</ref> A subsequent harvest was held in the winter of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPMe-pElwho |title=Around the House: Operation Ailsa Craig |website=[[YouTube]] |date=April 2021 |access-date=12 February 2022 |archive-date=12 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220212154316/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPMe-pElwho |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Natural history==
[[White-tailed eagle|Sea eagles]] or erne nested at the Bare Stack until 1881 when the tenant shot the last specimen, which is preserved at Culzean Castle.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 42</ref>

Pennant and others have noted that the only trees growing on the island are elders (''[[Sambucus nigra]]'') or {{lang|sco|bourtrees}} in the Scots dialect, found as a grove known as The Bourtrees at the Trammins on the southern end of the island.<ref>Tait (2005) p.27</ref> This visitor also rather quaintly mentions that he was surprised to find three species of "reptiles" by which he meant [[mollusc]]s, namely a naked black slug, the garden snail ''[[Cornu aspersum]]'' and one of the common striped snails of the genus ''[[Cepaea]]''. He speculated that they had accidentally been brought over from the mainland secreted within vegetables.<ref>Pennant, Page 216</ref>

[[Slowworm]]s (''[[Anguis fragilis]]'') are found on the island, although they suffered greatly when [[badger]]s and [[raccoon]]s were introduced by Lord Ailsa. The badgers did not survive long, but the raccoons bred for a number of years.<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 59</ref> [[File:Slow Worm - geograph.org.uk - 1375763.jpg|thumb|A slowworm on the island]]

The mammal fauna included [[rabbit]]s, and at one time goats, whilst [[pig]]s were bred here as food for the inhabitants. The billy goats were shot for sport in the 19th century and no longer survive; only a mounted head of one remains at the [[McKechnie Institute in Girvan]].<ref name=McK>Tait (2005) p.17</ref> The rabbits and goats may have been originally introduced to supply food for the fishermen and were mentioned by Pennant in 1772<ref name=goat>Tait (2005) p.16</ref> and by the Rev Abercummie in 1688, who called them by the old name of coneys.<ref>Lawson (1895) p.14</ref>

The island is now a bird sanctuary, leased by the [[RSPB]] until 2050.<ref>[http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/280200-rspb-stress-importance-of-ailsa-craig-but-are-not-in-negotiations-to-purchase-iconic-landmark "RSPB stress importance of Ailsa Craig, but are not in negotiations to purchase iconic landmark"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622115548/http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/280200-rspb-stress-importance-of-ailsa-craig-but-are-not-in-negotiations-to-purchase-iconic-landmark |date=22 June 2015 }}. RSPB. Retrieved 14 July 2011.</ref> Huge numbers of [[northern gannet|gannets]] nest here.

[[Rat]]s were probably introduced via [[shipwreck]]s; supposedly, a coal boat that sank offshore was the first culprit<ref>Lawson (1895), Page 63</ref> and caused great harm to the nesting bird populations, with the puffins proving vulnerable to the extent of extinction as breeding birds. After a long campaign using pioneering techniques, the rats were eradicated in 1991, and now puffins are once again raising young on the island with many other benefits accruing to both the fauna and the flora.<ref>Tate, Page 76</ref>

In a small glen above Ailsa Castle, a small freshwater body known as the Garry Loch is located at an altitude of {{cvt|247|m}},<ref>Tait (2005) p.38</ref> with a depth of at least {{convert|17|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref>Lawson (1895) p.36</ref>

== In popular culture ==
*In chapter 15 of [[Herman Melville]]'s novel ''[[Israel Potter|Israel Potter: His Fifty Years of Exile]]'' (1855), Ailsa Craig is portrayed as an omen.<ref>{{cite book |last=Howard |first=Leon |date=1993 |title=Herman Melville: A Biography |publisher=University of California Press |page=238}}</ref> 
*[[John Keats]], during his walk from London to Scotland, composed ''To Ailsa Rock'' (as the island was known then) following seeing the island.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/ailsa-rock/ |title=To Ailsa Rock by John Keats |access-date=14 August 2021 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724213813/https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/ailsa-rock/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*British singer-songwriter [[Nick Mulvey]]'s debut album, [[First Mind]] features a song entitled Ailsa Craig.
*Curling, Ailsa Craig itself, and its lighthouse are some of the main subjects of The Stones of Ailsa Craig by [[David S Florig (writer)|David S Florig]]'s novel ''The Stones of Ailsa Craig.'' <ref>{{Cite book |last=Florig|first=D. S. |title=The Stones of Ailsa Craig |publisher=self published |year=2023 |isbn=9798988554554}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Ailsa Craig from Beinn Ime - geograph.org.uk - 4847014.jpg|View of Ailsa Craig from [[Beinn Ime]] in Argyllshire, 70 miles away
File:Basalt columns on Ailsa Craig.jpg|Basalt columns
File:Ailsa Craig - geograph.org.uk - 7226002.jpg|Foghorn and cave
File:The summit of Ailsa Craig - geograph.org.uk - 6431458.jpg|The summit of Ailsa Craig
File:Little Ailsa - geograph.org.uk - 2991991.jpg|The so-called "Little Ailsa"
File:Ailsa Craig castle - geograph.org.uk - 3791656.jpg|The 16th-century tower
File:William Bell Scott - Ailsa Craig - Google Art Project.jpg|''Ailsa Craig'' by [[William Bell Scott]], oil on canvas (1860)
File:Girvan town flag.svg|Flag of Girvan, adopted in 2025, featuring a depiction of the island
</gallery>

==Accidents==
Lawson in the 1890s records that a young lady once fell over the cliff near Craig Na'an; however, her [[Victorian fashion|Victorian style garments]] caught the wind like a parachute and she escaped with her life and some broken bones that soon knitted back together. A visitor in a group from [[Stranraer]] was not so lucky and fell to his death on his way down from the summit.

A shocking death was that of a young boy from Girvan who was sitting amongst loose rocks, pulling out stones and throwing them into the sea when a very large boulder started to move and crushed him. The stone was too heavy to shift and help from the mainland was required to extract the body of the unfortunate victim. In 1887 a ten-year-old boy died whilst collecting eggs at the West Craigs.<ref>Lawson (1895) p.73</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Scottish islands}}
*[[List of islands of Scotland]]
*[[Ailsa Craig tomato]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{citation |last=Clancy |first=Thomas Owen |author-link = Thomas Owen Clancy |title=The Gall-Ghàidheil and Galloway |journal=Journal of Scottish Name Studies |volume=2 |pages=19–50 |year=2008 |issn=1747-7387}}
*{{Haswell-Smith}}
*{{Gaelic Placenames}}
*Lawson, Roderick (1888). ''Ailsa Craig : Its History & Natural History''. Paisley : J & R Parlane.
*Lawson, Roderick (1895). ''Ailsa Craig : Its History & Natural History''. Paisley : J & R Parlane.
*[[Donald Monro (Dean)|Monro, Sir Donald]] (1549) [https://web.archive.org/web/20070313003106/http://www.appins.org/martin.htm ''A Description Of The Western Isles of Scotland'']. Appin Regiment/Appin Historical Society. Retrieved 3 March 2007. First published in 1774.
*[[James Paterson (journalist)|Paterson, James]] (1863–66). ''History of the Counties of Ayr and Wigton''. V. – I – Kyle. Edinburgh: J. Stillie.
*Pennant, Thomas (1776). ''Tour in Scotland and Voyage to the Hebrides''. Chester : John Monk.
*Purdie, David; McCue Kirsteen and Carruthers, Gerrard. (2013). ''Maurice Lindsay's The Burns Encyclopaedia''. London : Robert Hale. {{ISBN|978-0-7090-9194-3}}.
*Tait, Norman T. (2005). ''Kirk on the Craig''. Pub. Friends of the McKechnie Institute.
*[[William J. Watson|Watson, W.J.]], ''The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland'', (Edinburgh, 1926) reprinted, with an Introduction, full Watson bibliography and corrigenda by Simon Taylor (Edinburgh, 2004)
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Ailsa Craig|volume=1}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Commons category}}
:*[http://www.ayrshirescotland.com/ailsa-craig.html Photo Tour of Trip to the Island]
:*[http://www.maybole.org/photogallery/ailsacraig/ailsacraig.htm Entry on the Maybole Home Page]
:*[http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/UPL/AilsaCraig.gif Ailsa Craig] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210306103949/http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/UPL/AilsaCraig.gif |date=6 March 2021 }}
:*[http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html Index computer generated virtual panoramas]
:*[http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/2435 Ailsa Craig, 1868 at the Historical Society of Philadelphia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417100353/http://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/Object/Show/object_id/2435 |date=17 April 2016 }}

{{Islands of the Clyde}}
{{Carrick}}
{{RSPB sites in Scotland}}
{{Castles in North Ayrshire}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Islands of the Clyde]]
[[Category:Marilyns of Scotland]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Scottish islands]]
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of South Ayrshire]]
[[Category:Landforms of South Ayrshire]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cumnock and Kyle]]
[[Category:Volcanic plugs of Scotland]]
[[Category:Paleogene volcanoes]]
[[Category:Protected areas of South Ayrshire]]
[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Scotland]]