Little Colonsay
Scottish Gaelic name | Colbhasa Beag |
---|---|
Old Norse name | kolnøy[1] |
Meaning of name | Old Norse for "Columba's island" or "Kolbein's island"[1] |
Location | |
OS grid reference | NM375365 |
Coordinates | 56°26′51″N 6°15′40″W / 56.44737°N 6.26122°W |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Mull |
Area | 88 ha (5⁄16 sq mi)[1] |
Area rank | 154 [2] |
Highest elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | Argyll and Bute |
Demographics | |
Population | 0 |
References | [3][4] |
Little Colonsay (
In 1841 the population was 16 individuals in two households, but by 1881 no population was recorded, the island having been cleared in 1846 by F.W. Clark, the notorious owner of Gometra and Ulva. The censuses of 1891 and 1931 recorded two inhabitants. In the early 20th century the island was farmed by John MacColum, known as "Johnny Colonsay", but he and his family were forced out by a plague of rats.[1]
The island is owned by the family of Viscount Blakenham but has not been permanently inhabited since the 1940s.[6] The 2nd Viscount's daughter, Cressida Cowell, the author of children's books including How to Train Your Dragon, spent childhood summers on the island and cites the Inner Hebrides as an inspiration for her books, suggesting they are "one of the most beautiful places on Earth" and "the kind of place where you expect to see dragons overhead".[7]
Footnotes
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7. pp. 98–100
- 2011 census.
- ^ 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
- ^ "Ordnance Survey | Leisure | Print & Digital Maps". ordnancesurvey.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "National Scenic Areas" Archived 2017-03-11 at the Wayback Machine. SNH. Retrieved 30 Mar 2011.
- ^ "Little Colonsay". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ "Film based on little island" (5 April 2010) Press and Journal. Aberdeen.
56°26′51″N 6°15′40″W / 56.44737°N 6.26122°W