Sanda Island
Scottish Gaelic name | Sandaigh/?Abhainn |
---|---|
Old Norse name | Sandey/Havn |
Meaning of name | Sandy Island (Norse) |
Location | |
OS grid reference | NR730043 |
Coordinates | 55°17′N 5°35′W / 55.28°N 5.58°W |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Firth of Clyde |
Area | 127 hectares (0.49 sq mi) |
Area rank | 131 [1] |
Highest elevation | 123 metres (404 ft) |
Administration | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Country | Scotland |
Council area | Argyll and Bute |
References | [2][3] |
Sanda Island (
On clear days Sanda can be seen from the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, from the Isle of Arran and from northeast County Antrim. It is known locally on Arran and on the Antrim coast as "Spoon Island"[4] because of its resemblance to an upturned spoon.
Population
In the 2001 census Sanda was one of four Scottish islands with a population of just one person. However, since then there has been some development, and in 2008 the island had a population of 3.[5] In August 2008, as a result of their separation, the husband and wife owners put the island up for sale at a price of £3.2 million, and in January 2009 they announced that a sole caretaker would be resident until spring viewings re-commenced.[6] The island was eventually sold to Swiss businessman Michi Meier for the reduced price of £2.5 million. The island's growth as a tourist destination may come to an end under the new owner, who has stated that he wants the island for personal use.[7] By the time of the 2011 census, it had no usual residents.[8]
Wildlife
The island is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its importance for both migrating and breeding birds.[9] Sanda Bird Observatory was the first bird observatory to be set up on the west coast of Scotland.[10]
Geography and geology
According to Haswell-Smith, the island's geology is "lower
Sanda lies in the
The island has cliffs on most sides. There are caves on the west coast, and also a couple of natural arches, particularly near "the Ship" as the lighthouse is nicknamed. There are two main hills, in the north west and south east. In between them is a valley which has the double advantage of being sheltered from the prevailing winds and catching the heat of the sun.[3]
History
The island has connections with several well-known historical personages, including the Bruce family, Wallace and
The island is known for the ruins of a chapel built by
It was known as "Sandey" (sandy island) by the
In the Middle Ages, there was some association with the Bruce family, notably,
In the later 16th and 17th centuries, the island was connected with the MacDonalds of Kintyre, who sided with Montrose
The island has had a number of different owners in its history, including, in 1969, Jack Bruce of the rock group Cream.
Lighthouse
At the southern tip of the island there is a lighthouse built in 1850 by Alan Stevenson.[15][16] When seen from the sea to the south, the natural arch, and the lighthouse on the rock can look like a ship, hence its name "The Ship" on marine charts.
Byron Darnton
A pub was opened in 2003, named Byron Darnton after the vessel which wrecked on the island in 1946. The Byron Darnton was named after an American war correspondent whose son, John Darnton, also became a journalist and wrote of his visit to the island in 2005.
Stamps
Local stamps have been issued for Sanda since 1962. The stamps served the resident staff employed by the Northern Lighthouse Board, the owners and the many visitors to the island who wished to have their mail posted there, and carried to the nearest GPO post box on the mainland.[17]
References
- 2011 census.
- ISBN 0-901824-25-9
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- ^ "Isle of Arran". Internet Guide to Scotland. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Sanda Island". sanda-island.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2009.
- ^ "Lone laird guards remote island". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 7 January 2009.
- ^ "Tiny island group sells for £2.5m". BBC News. 27 March 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Sanda Island Bird Observatory". Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ [dead link]
- ^ Scotland Places. "William and Caroline: Sanda Harbour, Sanda Island, Firth of Clyde". Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ Reeves, William, 'On the Island of Sanda', paper read before the Royal Irish Academy on 14 April 1862 (Dublin: 1862) title at google.com
- ^ "MacDonald05". Retrieved 30 December 2009.; but there are other theories.
- ^ Alastair Henderson (30 April 1998). "Sanda". Kintyre Antiquarian & Natural History Society. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Scotland: Argyll and Bute". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- ^ Sanda Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 12 May 2016
- ^ "Modern British Local Posts CD Catalogue, 2009 Edition". Phillips. 2003. Archived from the original on 5 September 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.