Gigha

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Gigha
Location of Gigha in Blaeu's Atlas from 1654 west of the Kintyre peninsula (north is right)
Location of Gigha in Blaeu's Atlas from 1654 west of the Kintyre peninsula (north is right)
Waters Atlantic Ocean
Archipelago Inner Hebrides
Geographical location 55 ° 40 ′ 48 "  N , 5 ° 45 ′ 0"  W Coordinates: 55 ° 40 ′ 48 "  N , 5 ° 45 ′ 0"  W.
Location of Gigha
length 9.5 km
width 2.5 km
surface 14 km²
Highest elevation Creag Bhàn
100  m
Residents 163 (2011)
12 inhabitants / km²
main place Ardminish
Creag Bhàn, the highest hill in Gigha
The two beaches at Tombolo Eilean Gharb
The church at Kilchattan

Gigha (English pronunciation ˈɡiːə , Scottish Gaelic Giogha ( Giogha ? / I ); possibly from the Old Norwegian Guðey ("Good Island") or Gud-øy (" God's Island "); English also Isle of Gigha ) is an island in Scotland . It is the southernmost inhabited island in the Inner Hebrides after Islay . In 2011, 163 people lived on Gigha. Audio file / audio sample

geography

Gigha is about four kilometers west of the Kintyre peninsula not far from the town of Killean . The Sound of Gigha , which is 2.6 km wide at its narrowest point, separates Gigha from the peninsula. About 15 kilometers to the west is the island of Islay, 16 kilometers northwest of Gigha is the island of Jura . Around Gigha there are several small, uninhabited islands such as Cara , Craro , Gigalum and Eilean Gharb , as well as numerous archipelago and rocks. Cara , which is south of Gigha, was inhabited until the 19th century.

Gigha extends around 9.5 kilometers in a north-south direction and 2.5 kilometers in a west-east direction. The area is around 14.0 km 2 . The highest point is the Creag Bhàn at 100 meters above sea level . The island's rocky center is amphibolite with intrusions of basalt . The most important place is Ardminish on the southeast coast, where there is an anchorage at Ardminish Bay . Further north are Druimyeon Bay and the bays of West Tarbert and East Tarbert on either side of an isthmus .

Gigha is part of the Argyll and Bute Council Area .

The climate is mild due to the Gulf Stream . Compared to the Scottish average, Gigha has above average hours of sunshine and quite fertile soil.

history

Gigha was already settled in prehistoric times. Numerous standing stones ( Bodach and Cailleach ), Cairns , Ogham stones and Duns bear witness to this time. Presumably Gigha played an important role in the Dalriada kingdom. King "Conall mac Comgall" is said to have had his seat here in the 6th century. Later the island was ruled by Vikings . At times Gigha belonged to the sphere of influence of the Lords of the Isles . The MacNeill clan has its roots here. In 1865 he sold the island, which had been in the clan's possession for half a millennium, to Baron William Scarlett. His family kept the island in their possession until 1919. From then on, Gigha had frequently changing owners.

More than 600 people lived on Gigha in the 18th century. In 2000 the number had dropped to 98. In 2002 the residents bought the island for four million pounds ( community buy-out ). The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust has been the legal owner of the island since then. The population has been increasing since 2002; at the same time there were numerous projects for the development of agriculture and tourism. By 2006 the population had grown to 150.

Economy and Infrastructure

The inhabitants of Gigha make their living mainly from livestock farming and tourism. Fishing has not played a role since the 1960s. With 3.7 of 14.0 km², Gigha has a high proportion of fertile land for Scotland. Three wind turbines have been built owned by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust .

tourism

Local attractions include beside the menhirs (Engl. Standing stones ), Duns and Cairns , the 20-hectare Achamore Gardens with many rhododendrons and azaleas , as well as the remains of St. Catan's Chapel from the 13th century. There is another church at Kilchattan. There is also a golf course and the Gigha Boats and Activity Center for boat trips and water sports. There are many shipwrecks around Gigha, especially at the skerries . The last time the Russian ship Kartli ran aground was in 1991 ; four sailors were killed.

traffic

There is a small, grassy airfield at the south end of the island. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries run to Ardminish from Tayinloan on the Kintyre Peninsula .

education

There is a primary school at Gigha , but no secondary schools.

Flora and fauna

On the coast Gighas and on nearby islands breed numerous seabirds such as guillemots and eider ducks . Birds of prey, gray herons and pheasants can be found on the island .

Culture

Gigha is known for the harpist family Mac Breatnaigh whose descendants lived on Gigha to the 1685th Gigha was an island with a large proportion of Scottish Gaelic speakers until the 1920s. Gigha studied Gaelic extensively in the 1930s. In the 2001 census , only 14 percent of those questioned said they spoke Gaelic.

  • Isle of Gigha

  • Ardminish Bay, from the ferry

  • Gigalum, from Gigha

  • The wreck of the Kartli

Web links

Commons : Gigha  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Further possible interpretations in en: Gigha
  2. ↑ 2011 census data
  3. ^ Article in The Scotsman, 2006 (English), accessed May 17, 2010
  4. ^ Nils M. Holmer: Studies on Argyllshire Gaelic (= Humanistiska Vetenskapssamfundet i Uppsala. Skrifter. Vol. 31, No. 1, ISSN  0280-0918 ). Almqvist & Wiksell et al., Uppsala et al. 1938. The work relates primarily to Gigha and Islay.
  5. ↑ Data on Gaelic speakers in Scotland (English, Powerpoint; 7.7 MB), accessed on May 17, 2010