View source for Oronsay, Colonsay

{{Short description|Small tidal island south of Colonsay in the Scottish Inner Hebrides}}
{{redirect|Oronsay}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Scottish island
|coordinates = {{coord|56.02|-6.24|display=inline}}
|location_map=Scotland Argyll and Bute
|caption=Oronsay shown within Argyll and Bute
|GridReference=NR351892
|official_name=Oronsay
|Image=File:Oronsay Priory and Farm - geograph.org.uk - 1340924.jpg
|ImageCaption=Oronsay Priory and Farm
|celtic name=Orasaigh
|gaelic pronunciation={{IPA|gd|ˈɔɾəs̪aj||Orasaigh.ogg}}
|norse name=[possibly] Örfirisey<ref name=Watson/>
|meaning of name= "tidal island"<ref>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 93</ref> or "Oran's isle"<ref name=Smith/>
|area=  {{convert|543|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
|area rank=  71
|highest elevation=Beinn Orasaigh, {{convert|93|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|Population=8<ref name=RESAS>{{RESAS}}</ref>
|population density ={{cvt|1.3|PD/km2}}<ref name=Smith/><ref name=RESAS/>
|population rank= 72=
|main settlement= Oronsay Farm
|island group=[[Inner Hebrides]] 
|local authority=[[Argyll and Bute]]
|references=<ref name=Smith>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 52–56.</ref><ref>{{Ordnance Survey}}</ref>
}}

'''Oronsay''' ({{langx|gd|Orasaigh}}), also sometimes spelt and pronounced '''''Oransay''''' by the local community, is a small [[tidal island]] south of [[Colonsay]] in the [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[Inner Hebrides]] with an area of {{convert|543|ha|acre}}.<ref name=Smith/>{{#tag:ref|''The Gazetteer for Scotland'' records the area as 519 hectares.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scottish-places.info/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1586.html |title=Gazetteer for Scotland Oronsay |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=The Gazetteer for Scotland |access-date=24 March 2014}}</ref>|group=note}}

The island rises to a height of {{convert|93|m|ft|abbr=off}} at Beinn Orasaigh and is linked to Colonsay by a tidal [[causeway]] called ''An Tràigh'' (The Strand) consisting of sands and [[Mudflat|mud flats]]. In the 2001 census Oronsay was recorded as having a population of five people, who lived at the farm adjacent to [[Oronsay Priory]]. In 2022 the population was seven.<ref name=RESAS/> The island has no facilities for visitors and is now privately owned, with the [[RSPB]] farming the island for the American owner.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/oronsay/ |title=RSPB: Oronsay |accessdate=2021-06-23}}</ref> It is dependent upon tidal access to and from Colonsay. There is a small grass [[air strip]] south of the priory that "fights a losing battle with the rabbits".<ref name=Smith/>

==Etymology==
There are two theories for the origin of the name from [[Old Norse]]. Either it is ''Oran's Isle'', [[Odran of Iona|St Oran]] being imagined as the founder of the island's original monastery in 563,<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 52.</ref> (Murray (1966) states that the original Gaelic name was ''Eilean Orain''<ref>Murray (1966) p. 49</ref>) or it may be from the Old Norse ''Örfirisey'' meaning "island of the ebb tide".<ref name=Watson>Watson (2004) p. 505.</ref>

==Prehistory==
Both Oronsay and neighbouring Colonsay have furnished [[archaeology|archaeologists]] with invaluable information about the [[Mesolithic]] period of [[prehistory]], particularly about the diet of human beings. Three [[midden]]s on Oronsay were opened in the 1880s and have provided a piece of bone carbon-dated to 4600 BC and an oyster shell to 3065 BC.<ref>Murray (1973) p. 114</ref> Evidence provided from [[saithe]] bones in the middens suggest that the local population lived there all year round and were heavily reliant on marine protein. Site datings on Colonsay and [[Islay]] suggest an absence of human habitation in the area from {{circa}} 5250–4750&nbsp;BC for unknown reasons.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 5-6</ref>

There is comparatively little evidence for life during the [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]]s although a picture emerges of "small farming communities and changes in technology occurring slowly over a long period of time" on Colonsay and environs.<ref>Caldwell (2011) p. 14</ref> By the close of the [[Iron Age]] around 500 AD Colonsay and Oronsay were part of the [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]]-speaking Kingdom of [[Dál Riata]] although which of the main Dalriadan kindreds controlled them is unknown.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 17,21, 22</ref> The founding of the fort of [[Dùn Eibhinn]] on Colonsay that overlooks Oronsay dates from this period.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 23-24</ref>

==Religious history==
[[File:Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (1899) (14598471607).jpg|thumb|Cross No. 1 on Oronsay]]
Watson (2004) mentions Oronsay as a possible candidate for the site of [[Hinba]], an island in Scotland of uncertain location that was the site of a small [[monastery]] associated with the Columban church on Iona.<ref name= Smith/><ref>Watson (2004) pp. 81–84</ref>

The site of a [[Vikings|Norse]] [[ship burial]] has been found on Oronsay and another on Colonsay dated to the mid 9th century<ref>Murray (1973) p. 166</ref> at which point these islands were likely part of the far-flung [[Kingdom of the Isles]]. Following the 1266 [[Treaty of Perth]] the Hebrides were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland and the Gaelic language re-asserted its dominant position in the southern [[Hebrides]].<ref>Caldwell (2011) p. 28</ref><ref>Woolf, Alex "The Age of the Sea-Kings: 900–1300" in Omand (2006) pp. 108–09</ref><ref>Jennings & Kruse (2009) p. 140</ref>

Oronsay also had a medieval [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] priory, the ruins of which are still extant.<ref name=Murray50>Murray (1966) p. 50</ref> It was built {{circa}} 1380, possibly on the site of an earlier church (for whose existence there is actually no surviving evidence), perhaps founded by [[John of Islay, Lord of the Isles]].<ref>Murray (1973) p. 281</ref> By the early 16th century a distinct 'school' of monumental sculpture flourished on Oronsay.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 54-55</ref> Two substantial [[celtic cross]]es sit outside the perimeter of the buildings<ref name=Smith/> and many slabs with effigies or other carvings are still to be found within the priory itself.<ref>Murray (1973) pp. 272-73</ref>

==16th-18th centuries==
[[File:A tomb in MacDufie's Chapel, Oronsay, 1772.png|thumb|100px|left|Tomb of Murchardus Macdufie, who died in 1539.<ref name="Moncreiffe-p79-80">[[#M1|Moncreiffe of that Ilk 1967]]: 79-80.</ref>{{#tag:ref|This image was drawn by John Cleveley, junior, from a sketch taken on 8 August 1772. On the back of the drawing is the quotation given above, presumably made by Sir [[Joseph Banks]] who travelled to the Western Isles around 1772.<ref name=BL>{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/topdrawings/a/005add000015509u00049000.html|title=A tomb in MacDufie's Chapel, Oronsay, 1772|access-date=13 April 2009|work=[[The British Library]]}}</ref>|group=note}}]]
On a visit to Colonsay in the 18th century, Sir [[Joseph Banks]] was informed that Murchardus Macdufie (d. 1539) "was a factor or manager for [[Lord of the Isles|Macdonald King of the Isles]] upon these islands of Oransay and Colonsay & that for his mismanagement & tyranny he was executed by order of that prince".<ref name=BL/>

According to Caldwell (2011) "the [[medieval]] period on Islay, Jura and Colonsay was a cultural high point"<ref>Caldwell (2011) p. 58</ref> but the last known [[Prior of Oronsay]] was Robert Lamont, elected in 1555. After the [[Scottish Reformation]] in 1560, the lands and property of the priory was given ''[[in commendam]]'' to ''Maol Choluim MacDubhthaich'' (Malcolm MacDuffie), at which time it would appear that the community ceased to exist.<ref>Watt & Shead (2001) pp. 165-67</ref> The MacDuffies based their operations at the site of the old Dalriadan fort of Dun Eibhinn.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 49-50</ref>

Writing in 1549, [[Donald Monro (Dean)|Sir Donald Monro]], High Dean of the Isles stated of "Orvansay" that it was a low-lying island with "ane Monasterie of Channonis" and "full of hares and polecats, with a good anchorage for Highland [[galley]]s and shallow waters".{{#tag:ref|Monro wrote in [[Scots language|Scots]]. The original is "mane laich land, full of hairis and fowmartis, with gude heavin for hieland Galays and scheald at the schoiris".|group=note}}<ref>Monro (1549) no. 97</ref> In 1596 a report about the military strength of the [[Lord of the Isles|Lords of the Isles]] indicated that Colonsay and Oronsay together maintained a contingent of 100 warriors who were not required to work the land.<ref>Caldwell (2011) p. 42</ref>

By the early 17th century land on Colonsay was held by both [[Clan Macfie]] and [[Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg]]. In 1623 [[Coll Ciotach]] (Colkitto), a Dunnyveg mercenary, was charged with the murder of Malcolm MacFie. MacFie had been hiding on Eilean nan Ròn (an islet south-west of Oronsay) but he was spotted there by Colkitto's men, apprehended and then tied to a stone and summarily shot.<ref>[http://www.clanmacfie.co.uk/clanhome/commander.php clanmacfie.co.uk]</ref> However, after the death of their chief, the MacFies lost control of their lands and by 1630 Colkitto held the whole of Colonsay and Oronsay from the [[Clan Campbell|Campbell]] [[Earl of Argyll]]. However, not long after this Colkitto lost his own life in the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]] and by 1701 the Campbells had sold both islands to a MacNeill of [[Knapdale]], whose family held these lands until the early 20th century.<ref>Caldwell (2011) pp. 67-68</ref><ref>Moncreiffe(1967) pp. 79-80</ref>

[[Martin Martin]] observed in a 1703 publication that Oronsay:
{{blockquote|is four miles [6&nbsp;km] in circumference, being for the most part a plain arable, dry, sandy soil, and is fruitful in corn and grass; it is likewise adorned with a church, chapel, and monastery... There are several burying-places here, and the tombstones for the most part have a two-handed sword engraven on them. On the south side of the church within lie the tombs of MacDuffie and of the cadets of his family; there is a ship under sail and a two-handed sword engraven on the principal tombstone and this inscription, Hic jacit Malcolumbus MacDuffie de Collonsay; his coat of arms and colour-staff is of red in a stone, through which a hole is made to hold it. There is a cross at the east and west sides of this church, which are now broken; their height was about 12 feet [3.7&nbsp;m] each; there is a large cross on the west side of the church, of an entire stone very hard; there is a pedestal of three steps, by which they ascend to it, it is 16 feet [5&nbsp;m] high, and a foot and a half [0.5&nbsp;m] broad; there is a large crucifix on the west side of this cross, it has an inscription underneath, but not legible, being almost worn off by the injury of time; the other side has a tree engraven on it... The natives of Colonsay are accustomed, after their arrival in Oronsay Isle, to make a tour sunways about the church, before they enter upon any kind of business. |Martin Martin, ''A Description of The Western Islands of Scotland''.<ref name=Martin>[[Martin Martin|Martin, Martin]] (1703)  "The Isle of Colonsay". pp. 95-96</ref>}}

The island is now owned by the Colburn family.

==Wildlife==
[[File:Oronsay - Hebrides.jpg|thumb|From one of the small beaches on the east coast of Oronsay, looking towards the Paps of [[Jura, Scotland|Jura]] in the distance]] 
The rocks and skerries of Eilean nan Ròn (Seal Island), to the south-west, are an important [[grey seal]] breeding colony. The islet has a ruined house, possibly once used by a [[kelp]] gatherer and used for sheep grazing in the summer, the rocks being fertilised by the winter-visiting [[Barnacle goose|barnacle geese]].<ref name=Murray50/> Dean Munro also mentioned the nearby islet of Eilean Ghaoideamal under its earlier name of ''Ellan na muk'', noting that it was "gude for swine and uther bestiall".<ref>Monro (1549) no. 98</ref><ref>Munro (1961) p. 112</ref>

In order to conserve the population of resident [[chough]]s and breeding [[corncrake]]s  Oronsay and southern Colonsay became a [[Special Protection Area]] in December 2007.<ref>{{cite news| author=Smith, Claire| date=17 December 2007| title=Special protection zones take flight to protect three rare bird species| location= Edinburgh| work=[[The Scotsman]]| url=http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Special-protection-zones-take-flight.3595338.jp| access-date=2008-12-13}}</ref>

Colonsay and Oronsay are home to about 50 colonies of the European dark bee the ''[[Apis mellifera mellifera]]''. The [[Scottish Government]] introduced the Bee Keeping (Colonsay and Oronsay) Order 2013 to prevent cross breeding with other honeybees (''[[Apis mellifera]]'')  and to protect it from diseases common on the mainland. From 1 January 2014 it has been an offence to keep any other honeybee on either island. The Environment and climate Change Minister [[Paul Wheelhouse]] MSP said: "The Bee Keeping Order illustrates how our non-native species legislation can be used to protect our native wildlife. The order is a targeted measure to protect an important population of black bees on Colonsay from hybridisation with non-native bees" (the "non-native species legislation" was used because ''Apis mellifera'' are considered to be non-native to Colonsay, but considered native to Scotland as it was the first honey bee to be introduced for use in [[beekeeping]] there).<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/colonsay-and-oronsay-to-become-honeybee-havens-1-3128377 "Colonsay and Oronsay to become honeybee havens"]. Edinburgh. ''[[Scotland on Sunday]]''. Retrieved 7 October 2013.</ref> The bees on Colonsay are now referred to as the "Colonsay Dark Native Bee".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andrew Abrahams |title=Colonsay Black Bee Reserve |url=http://www.snhbs.scot/colonsay/ |website=snhbs.scot |publisher=Scottish native Honey Bee Society |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref> They were collected from across Scotland in the previous thirty years, genetic analysis has shown Australian and New Zealand [[Apis mellifera ligustica|''A. m. ligustica'']] [[introgression]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Catherine Eleanor Thompson |title=The health and status of the feral honeybee ( Apis mellifera sp ) and Apis mellifera mellifera population of the UK |url=http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5211/1/CorrectedThesis3.pdf |website=whiterose.ac.uk |publisher=The University of Leeds Faculty of Biological Sciences |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Summit of Beinn Oronsay - geograph.org.uk - 306638.jpg|The summit of Beinn Orasaigh with Beinn Eibhne on [[Colonsay]] beyond.
File:Oransay Tombs.jpg|Tombs on Oronsay
File:Elements within the Oronsay Priory - geograph.org.uk - 1418032.jpg|Oronsay Priory was improved in anticipation of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth]]'s visit.
File:The Strand - geograph.org.uk - 24760.jpg|The Strand looking west with Oronsay at left
File:Oronsay cross - geograph.org.uk - 1464698.jpg|Oronsay cross
</gallery>

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

==References and footnotes==
;Notes
<references group=note/>

;Footnotes
{{Reflist|2}}

{{refbegin}}
;General references
* {{cite book | last=Caldwell | first=David H. | year=2011 | title=Islay, Jura and Colonsay: A Historical Guide | location=Edinburgh | publisher=Birlinn | isbn=978-1-84158-961-9}}
* {{Haswell-Smith}}
* {{cite journal | last1=Jennings | first1=Andrew | last2=Kruse | first2=Arne | year=2009 | url=https://www.academia.edu/237929 | title=From Dál Riata to the Gall-Ghàidheil | journal=Viking and Medieval Scandinavia | volume=5 | pages=123–149 | doi=10.1484/J.VMS.1.100676 | hdl=20.500.11820/762e78fe-2a9c-43cf-8173-8300892b31cb | hdl-access=free }}
*{{Gaelic Placenames}}
*  {{Cite web |author=Martin, Martin |author-link=Martin Martin |year=1703 |url=http://www.appins.org/martin.htm |title=A Description of The Western Islands of Scotland |publisher=Appin Regiment/Appin Historical Society |access-date=3 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313003106/http://www.appins.org/martin.htm |archive-date=13 March 2007 }} First printed for Andrew Bell and others, London.
* {{cite book|last=Moncreiffe of that Ilk|first=Iain|author-link=Iain Moncreiffe of that Ilk|title=The Highland Clans|year=1967|publisher=Barrie & Rocklif|location=London|ref=M1}}
* {{Monro}}
* Munro, R. W. (1961) ''Monro's Western Isles of Scotland and Genealogies of the Clans''. Edinburgh and London. Oliver and Boyd.
* {{Cite book| author=Murray, W. H.| author-link=W. H. Murray| year=1966| title=The Hebrides| location=London| publisher=Heinemann}}
* [[W.H. Murray|Murray, W.H.]] (1973) ''The Islands of Western Scotland: the Inner and Outer Hebrides.'' London. Eyre Methuen. {{ISBN|0413303802}}
* Omand, Donald (ed.) (2006) ''The Argyll Book''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|978-1-84158-480-5}}
* Watt, D.E.R. & Shead, N.F. (eds.) (2001) ''The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries'', The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24. Edinburgh.
* [[William J. Watson|Watson, W.J.]] (2004) ''The History of the Celtic Place-names of Scotland.'' Reprinted with an introduction by Simon Taylor. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|1-84158-323-5}}. First published 1926.

==External links==
{{commons category|Oronsay, Colonsay|Oronsay}}
* {{cite journal |title=On the Monastic Trail: Oronsay |journal=Hidden Europe Magazine |url=http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/article_info.php?articles_id=97 |date=2009-06-17 |archive-date=26 October 2007 |access-date=13 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026220538/http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/article_info.php?articles_id=97 |url-status=dead }} 2005 article that  explores Columba's possible landing on Oronsay, the Priory and aspects of Oronsay life today.
{{refend}}

{{Argyll Islands}}
{{Hebrides}}
{{Islands of Scotland}}

{{Coord|56|0|56|N|6|14|37|W|display=title|region:GB_type:isle}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Oronsay| ]]
[[Category:Islands of Argyll and Bute]]
[[Category:Islands of the Inner Hebrides]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Islay and Jura]]
[[Category:Tidal islands of Scotland]]