Lismore, Scotland
Scottish Gaelic name | ⓘ |
---|---|
Meaning of name | great garden or great enclosure |
Location | |
OS grid reference | NM840408 |
Coordinates | 56°31′N 5°30′W / 56.52°N 5.5°W |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Inner Hebridies |
Area | 2,351 ha (5,810 acres) |
Area rank | 33 [1] |
Highest elevation | Barr Mòr, 127 m (417 ft) |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | Argyll and Bute |
Demographics | |
Population | 192[2] |
Population rank | 34 [1] |
Population density | 8.2/km2 (21/sq mi)[2][3] |
Largest settlement | Achnacroish |
References | [3][4] |
Lismore (
During the 19th century, various new industries were introduced, including lime quarrying. During the early decades of the 20th century, the population exceeded 1,000, but this was followed by a lengthy decline. Although resident numbers are now less than 200, there was a small increase from 2001 to 2011. About a third of the population were recorded as Gaelic-speaking at the former date. The modern economy is largely based on farming, fishing and tourism, and the largest settlement is Achnacroish. Various shipwrecks have been recorded in the vicinity.
Etymology
In the Gaelic name, lios means "garden"[5] or "enclosure",[3] and mòr is simply "big" or "great",[5] reflecting either the fertility of the island amidst mountainous surroundings, or the presence of a defined area surrounding the early monastery.[6] One of the earliest English language references is to "Lismoir", recorded in the 16th century.[7]
Achnacroish is from Achadh na Croise and means "the field of the cross".[8] The other small settlements are Clachan (village with a church)[9] and Port Ramsay, opposite Eilean Ramsay (Ramsay's isle). Most of the surrounding islets have descriptive names, such as Eilean Dubh (black island), Eilean nan Gamhna (isle of the stirks) and Pladda (flat island, from Old Norse).[10][11]
Geology
Lismore is formed almost wholly from rocks of the
Quaternary deposits include glacial
Geography
The island of Lismore lies in Loch Linnhe, north east of Mull, in the Argyll and Bute council area. It is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) wide and oriented from SW to NE, roughly parallel to the Great Glen Fault. To the east is an arm of Loch Linnhe known as the Lynn of Lorn.[4] Composed almost entirely of limestone, Lismore has fertile soil and an abundance of trees and shrubs, including ash and sycamore. The topography consists of sheltered furrows of land between raised areas that run longitudinally up the island's spine.[6][17][18]
The area of the island is 2,351 hectares (9.1 square miles)[3] and the highest elevation is Barr Mòr in the south above Kilcheran, which reaches only 127 metres (417 feet).[4] (Haswell-Smith ranks Lismore as the 50th offshore Scottish island by height).[19]
There are several small
Lismore is part of the ancient district of
The views from Barr Mòr, the island's highest point, are superlative. Although Barr Mòr is only of modest height, from there "the skyscape is vast and made so not by its emptiness, but by the throng of high and pointed hills lifting out of the glittering seas and islands. Nowhere else on the Highland coast can you enjoy a view of the mountainous mainland to equal this one."[27]
The offshore islets of Eilean na Cloich and Eilean Dubh in the Lynn of Lorn and
Climate
Lismore has a
Climate data for Dunstaffnage 3m asl, 1971-2000 (Weather station 2.7 kilometres (2 mi) NNE of Oban) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
13 (55) |
15 (59) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
27 (81) |
27 (81) |
27 (81) |
24 (75) |
20 (68) |
15 (59) |
13 (55) |
27 (81) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.7 (63.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
7.9 (46.2) |
12.1 (53.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
3.0 (37.4) |
4.2 (39.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
8.8 (47.8) |
10.9 (51.6) |
10.9 (51.6) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −8 (18) |
−7 (19) |
−7 (19) |
−2 (28) |
0 (32) |
2 (36) |
5 (41) |
3 (37) |
1 (34) |
−1 (30) |
−6 (21) |
−8 (18) |
−8 (18) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 192.2 (7.57) |
139.5 (5.49) |
153.2 (6.03) |
80.1 (3.15) |
67.0 (2.64) |
82.6 (3.25) |
102.4 (4.03) |
119.2 (4.69) |
163.3 (6.43) |
186.9 (7.36) |
182.1 (7.17) |
192.4 (7.57) |
1,660.9 (65.39) |
Average precipitation days (≥ mm) | 27 | 23 | 28 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 310 |
Average rainy days (≥ mm) | 25 | 21 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 305 |
Average snowy days (≥ cm) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 23 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 33.5 | 59.6 | 86.2 | 145.8 | 189.7 | 174.9 | 142.6 | 141.7 | 97.5 | 75.6 | 46.2 | 30.7 | 1,224 |
Source 1: Met Office[30] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weatherbase [31] |
Prehistory
There are various Bronze Age cairns on the island.[32] Tirefour Castle is an Iron Age broch of an uncertain date that is a prominent landmark on Lismore's east coast. The walls have an average thickness of 4.5 metres (15 ft), enclosing a circular court about 12.2 metres (40 ft) in diameter. The wall still stands 3 metres (9.8 ft) high and reaches 4.9 metres (16 ft) in the south east.[33] There is a second possible broch site at An Dùn, SW of Loch Fiart,[4] and these are amongst the most southerly examples of these enigmatic fortifications.[34] There are also various duns on the island that may date to the 1st or 2nd centuries AD.[34]
History
Lismore was an important centre of
Lismore was part of the kingdom of
Medieval period
Lismore later became the seat of the medieval Bishopric of Argyll. Before the late 12th century the Bishopric of Dunkeld included all of Argyll, but sometime between 1183 and 1193 they were separated, as apparently the then Bishop John Scotus was unable to speak Gaelic.[40][41] Lismore became the seat of the new bishop, and he and his successors were known as Episcopi Lismorenses[3] but a papal mandate in 1249 proposed that the see be transferred to "some more secure and accessible place".[42] At least by 1268, Laurence de Ergadia became Bishop of Argyll and served in that position until his death in 1299.[43]
In the event St Moluag's cathedral at Clachan maintained its position until 1507, when the diocese's centre was moved to Saddell in Kintyre.[3] It was burned down during the Reformation[41] and only the choir survives in greatly altered form, the nave and western tower having been reduced to their foundations. There is also evidence of an enclosure, probably medieval.[44]
The ruins of
The remains of
In the 16th century Donald Monro provided a brief description of the island in Scots: Lismoir, ane iyle quher leid ure is, fornent Douard. This iyle is four myle lang, with ane paroche kirke in it.[7] ("Lismore, an isle where lead ore is, opposite Duart. This isle is four miles long, with a parish church on it".)[Note 2] Monro's Description of the Western Isles of Scotland also mentions Eilean Droineach and Eilean Ramsay. He stated that both were "good for corn and store" and had many "Elders and thorns" and that Eilean Droineach was the "habitation of Bishops and Nobles in auld times".[52] However, the view of Munro (1961) is that this last comment more properly applies to the larger "Ramsay Isle".[53]
Lismore is the home of the
18th to 20th centuries
In 1707, the Acts of Union merged England and Scotland, and Lismore became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Thereafter taxes on whisky distillation rose dramatically, and much of Scotland's distillation was either shut down or forced underground until the 1823 Excise Act provided a legal framework for the industry.[58] The remains of at least two illicit stills from this period have been found on Lismore.[59]
In 1749 the ruins of the old cathedral were trimmed down from their remaining height, given a roof and turned into a parish church with a bell tower.[41]
In the 19th century
There have been various other shipwrecks in the vicinity. In 1889 the
Lismore, like other
Present day
The island's population was recorded as 192 at the
Prior to 2007 there was no
The island is linked to the mainland by two ferries: a
Facilities on Lismore include a shop which is also a post office, and a café. Bicycles may be hired at Point. Explore Lismore provide Land Rover Tours and the island's only taxi service. There is no petrol filling station.[76] In 2001 29% of the population of the island spoke Gaelic[77] and maintaining this heritage is one of the aims of the Comann Eachdraidh Lios Mòr, the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre.[78]
Lismore is part of the multi-member ward of Oban, Lorn and the Isles in the
In 2023, the sole shop on the island, which is also the post office, was threatened with closure because the person running it had decided to return to school teaching. The Lismore Community Trust, a local
Myths and culture
"The Piper's Cave" is a local story about a piper and his dog. According to Alexander Carmichael, the piper entered the Uamh-Chraidh (the "cave of pain") and intended to exit through the Uamh-an-duine (the "cave of the man"). The sounds of his bagpipes could be heard throughout the island. When the piping ceased the dog emerged sightless and hairless but the piper was presumed to have drowned in one of the cave's impassable pools and was never seen again. His lament is recorded as:[83]
- Mis air airin baidh 'us burrail I was drowning and howling
- Measg nan glumag eagalaich Amongst the horrid pools
Another story has St Moluag and St Mulhac conducting a boat race across the Lynn of Lorn with the first to land on Lismore having the right to found a monastery there. Realising that he was going to lose, Moluag cut off his finger and threw it ashore north of the broch of Tirefour, enabling him to claim victory.[63]
The Book of the Dean of Lismore was compiled by the titular dean, James MacGregor, in the 15th century. Held in the National Library of Scotland, it is "one of the greatest treasures" of early Gaelic writing. However it was written in Fortingall, Perthshire and its connection with Lismore itself, if any, is uncertain.[84][Note 3]
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ Loch Baile a' Ghobhainn is 13.3 hectares (33 acres) in extent with an average depth of 11.9 metres (39 ft) and 26.8 metres (88 ft) deep at its maximum. Kilcheran Loch is 11.3 hectares (28 acres) in area and 18.2 metres (60 ft) deep and the figures for Loch Fiart are 13.3 hectares (33 acres) and 17.7 metres (58 ft) respectively.[22]
- ^ Monro's work was first published in Latin in 1582. It forms 11 short "chapters" of George Buchanan's Rerum Scoticarum Historia with all of the islands listed, although with much omission of the details. In this version the description is: "Lismore, eight miles long and two broad, which was formerly the seat of the bishop of Argyle, and in which besides the productions common to others, metals have been found".[51]
- ^ Haswell-Smith states that the manuscript was compiled on Lismore[3] although it is clear that the National Library, where the book is displayed, believe it was written in Perthshire.[84]
- Footnotes
- ^ 2011 census.
- ^ a b c National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 109
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ^ a b Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 80
- ^ a b c Murray (1977) p. 155
- ^ a b Monro (1549) "Lismoir" no. 54
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 3
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 30
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 96
- ^ Am Faclair Beag: An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary incorporating Dwelly Faclair.com. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ Gray (1974) p. 83
- ^ Stephenson and Merritt (2010) pp. 3, 13
- ^ McCann (1966) pp. 90-91
- ^ "Onshore Geoindex". British Geological Survey. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ "Lismore, sheet 44E (Scotland), Solid Edition". BGS large map images. British Geological Survey. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Lismore". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Stephenson and Merritt (2010) p. 13
- ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 504
- ^ "Lismore Lochs". JNCC. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ "Lismore Lochs - Natura 2000 data form". (pdf) JNCC. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ Murray and Pullar (1910) "The Lochs of Lismore". Volume II, Part II pp. 171-72. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
- ^ Fraser (2009) p. 106, quoting Aidan MacDonald.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas - Map s". Scottish Natural Heritage. 20 December 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Lynn of Lorne NSA". NatureScot. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ Murray (1977) p. 157
- ^ Eileanan agus Sgeiran Lios mór Special Area of Conservation: Advice under Regulation 33(2) (2006) Scottish Natural Heritage.
- ^ "Bernera Island SSSI". www.nature.scot. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ "Dunstaffnage 1971-2000 averages". Met Office. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2011.
- ^ "Oban weather records". Weatherbase. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
- ^ Hay (2009) Birlinn overview. Birlinn. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Lismore, Tirefour Castle (23082)". Canmore. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ a b Creegan (1976) p. 65
- ^ Fraser (2009) pp. 105-06
- ^ Fraser (2009) p. 250
- ^ Fraser (2009) p. 372
- ^ Duffy (1992) pp. 110
- ^ Sellar (2000) p. 191
- ^ Turner (1998) p. 646
- ^ a b c Murray (1977) p. 156
- ^ Turner (1998) p. 648
- ^ Dowden, Bishops, p. 379.
- ^ Macdonald (1974) Abstract. British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Lismore:Castle Coeffin (23093)". Canmore. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Castle Coeffin, Site Number NM84SE 60 (281488)". Canmore. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Castle Coeffin, Site Number NM84SE 15 (23088)". Canmore. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Achadun Castle". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ^ Turner (1998) pp. 650-51
- ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Lismore, Achadun Castle (23018)". Canmore. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
- ^ Munro (1961) p. 54, crediting the translation to "Aikman".
- ^ Munro (1961) p. 55
- ^ Munro (1961) p. 117 indicating the idea was offered by Alexander Carmichael.
- ^ "Warant" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Clanmclea.co.uk Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ Carmichael, Alexander (15 April 1909) The Celtic Review pp. 356-375 quoted by "An Gorm Mor - Lismore in Alba". Clanmclea.co.uk Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ "The Official Home of the Clan McLea - the Highland Livingstones". ClanLivingstone.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
- ^ "History". Isle of Lismore Community/Lismore Computer Group. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ "A Brief History History of Scotch Whisky". Whisky.com. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ Duncan (2006) p. 158
- ^ "Industry" Archived 17 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Comann Eachdraidh Lios Mòr. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Limekilns, Stores and Pier, Port Kilcheran, Lismore, Lismore And Appin". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ MacWilliam, Alexander S. (1958) "The Highland Seminary at Lismore 1803-1828". Blairs College/The Innes Review. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ a b Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 111
- ^ "Biography - Alexander Archibald Carmichael". The Carmichael Watson Project. University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Walking Highlands". Retrieved 17 February 2013.
Tirefour Broch and Castle Coeffin from Achnacroish
- ^ Baird (1995) pp. 124-26
- ^ Richards (1982) p. 364
- ^ "Tirefour Broch and Castle Coeffin from Achnacroish". Walk Highlands. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Scotland's Island Populations". Scottish Islands Federation. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ^ General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Scotland's Census 2001 – Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ^ "Scotland's 2011 census: Island living on the rise". BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ^ "Introduction". Isle of Lismore Community/Lismore Computer Group. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ Watson (2006) p. 207
- ^ "Mains water flows to isle school". BBC News (26 February 2007). Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Lismore Community Council 2008 Information: Minutes of the meeting held at 7pm on Thursday 8th May 2008 at Lismore Public Hall Archived 11 August 2013 at archive.today". Isle of Lismore Community/Lismore Computer Group. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
- ^ "Local Information". Isle of Lismore Community/Lismore Computer Group. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2004) 1901-2001 Gaelic in the Census (PowerPoint ) Linguae Celticae. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
- ^ "A Gaelic Heritage". Comann Eachdraidh Lios Mòr. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Find your councillor - Map of Argyll and Bute". Argyll and Bute Council. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ^ "Lismore Community Trust". Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra. "Scottish islanders save their only shop thanks to 'community spirit'". The Guardian, 26 November 2023.
- ^ Delaney, James. "Only shop on Lismore saved after community buyout". BBC Scotland News, 26 November 2–23.
- ^ Carmichael, Alexander (1908-09) "The Barons of Bachuill". The Celtic Review 5 p. 357
- ^ a b Book of the Dean of Lismore. National Library of Scotland.
- General references
- Baird, Bob (1995) Shipwrecks of the West of Scotland. Glasgow. Nekton Books. ISBN 1897995024
- Cregeen, E. R. (April 1976) "Review of Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland: Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Argyll. Vol. II: Lorn". The Scottish Historical Review. Vol. 55 No. 159. JSTOR. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- Duffy, Seán (1992). "Irishmen and Islesmen in the Kingdom of Dublin and Man 1052–1171". JSTOR 30007421.
- Duncan, P. J. "The Industries of Argyll: Tradition and Improvement" in Omand, Donald (ed.) (2006) The Argyll Book. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-480-0
- Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic- English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 1874744041
- ISBN 978-0-7486-1232-1.
- Gray, J. M. (March 1974) "The Main Rock Platform of the Firth of Lorn, Western Scotland". Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. No. 61. JSTOR/The Royal Geographical Society. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- Hay, Robert (2009) Lismore: The Great Garden. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 9781841585659
- Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Ainmean-àite/Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- McCann, S. B. (Oct. 1966) "The Main Post-Glacial Raised Shoreline of Western Scotland from the Firth of Lorne to Loch Broom". Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. No. 39. JSTOR/The Royal Geographical Society. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- Macdonald, Aidan (1974) "Two major early monasteries of Scottish Dalriata: Lismore and Eigg". Scottish Archaeological Forum 5 pp. 47–70
- Monro, Sir Donald (1549) Description of the Western Isles of Scotland. William Auld. Edinburgh - 1774 edition.
- Munro, R. W. (1961) Monro's Western Isles of Scotland and Genealogies of the Clans. Edinburgh and London. Oliver and Boyd.
- Murray, Sir John and Pullar, Laurence (1910) Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909. London. Challenger Office.
- Murray, W.H.(1977) The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland. London. Collins.
- Richards, Eric (1982) The History of the Highland Clearances: Agrarian Transformation and the Elections, 1746-1886. Croom Helm. London.
- ISBN 978-1-86232-151-9.
- Stephenson, David and Merritt, Jon (2010) "Argyll and the Islands". (pdf) Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- Turner, Dennis (1998). "The Bishops of Argyll and the Castle of Achanduin, Lismore, AD 1180-1343" (PDF). S2CID 194151483. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- Watson, John N. "Agriculture" in Omand, Donald (ed.) (2006) The Argyll Book. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-480-0
External links
- Am Faclair Beag: An English - Scottish Gaelic dictionary incorporating Dwelly Faclair.com. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- Isle of Lismore Community Website
- Lismore Landscape Project
- Lismore Historical Society
- Clan MacLea/Livingstone Society
- Walks on the Isle of Lismore
- Extract from The Isle of Lismore by Hector Macpherson