Egilsay

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Egilsay
St. Magnus Church on Egilsay
St. Magnus Church on Egilsay
Waters North Sea
Archipelago Orkney Islands
Geographical location 59 ° 9 '11 "  N , 2 ° 55' 30"  W Coordinates: 59 ° 9 '11 "  N , 2 ° 55' 30"  W
Location of Egilsay
length 4 km
width 2 km
surface 6.5 km²
Highest elevation 35  m
Residents 26th (2011)
4 inhabitants / km²

To Scotland's Orkney belonging island Egilsay located about 15 km north of Kirkwall and about one kilometer east of the island Rousay on both islands is a regular ferry service. To the north is the uninhabited tidal island Kili Holm , to the northwest is the Holm of Scockness.

The very flat and 6.5 km² island has a length (north-south) of a good four kilometers and a width of two kilometers. The approximately 26 inhabitants live primarily from livestock farming and fishing.

The ruins of the St. Magnus Church, built in the first half of the 12th century, with its rectangular nave and the striking, almost 20 m high round tower, whose rising floors could only be reached via an entrance from the top floor of the nave, are worth seeing. It is one of only two surviving examples of round tower churches from the Viking Age . The cenotaph was erected here in 1938 , a memorial on the site of the execution of Jarl Magnus (St. Magnus) in 1117 AD at the instigation of his cousin Jarl Haakon Paulsson .

Around 20% of the island is now a bird sanctuary owned by the RSPB - Royal Society for Protection of Birds . The Wyre reserve, which is divided into three sub-areas, serves solely to preserve a specific species, the corncrake (Crex crex). RSPB reserves the right to restrict access to the areas depending on the current situation.

Skaill pier on Egilsay

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 2011 census data

Web links

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