Fladda-chùain
Fladda-chùain or Fladaigh Chùain is an up to 29 m high, uninhabited and treeless rock island in the Inner Hebrides . It is the 19 hectare main island of the small Fladda-chùain group, 6.5 kilometers away from the Trotternisch Peninsula on the Isle of Skye and far from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland .
The name of the island is derived from Old Norse "Flatey", which means flat island, and from Cuan, the Scottish Gaelic word for "ocean or bay". The latter probably refers to The Minch , also known as An Cuan Sgìth ("Ocean of Skye"). It is the strait that separates the northwestern Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from the twin islands of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides . The suffix “chùain” is added to distinguish the island from others with similar names.
On the southwest coast there are the ruins of a chapel which is said to have been dedicated to Columban of Iona by the hermit "O'Gorgon" . O'Gorgon is buried near the chapel. At each end of his grave there is a 1.5 meter high stone. The chapel was probably one of three that have preserved their cemeteries. The grave site at the ruined chapel is named Cladh Mhanaich (monks' cemetery). This is where MacDonald of the Isles is believed to have hidden his title deeds from the Jacobite revolt of 1715. The last known resident was known as "Am Muileach Mòr", which means either "the great Mullman" (concerning the island of Mull) or "Man from the foothills".
In 2002, the British nuclear submarine HMS Trafalgar touched down at Fladda-chùain when it drove through the Fladda-chùain-Eilean Trodday trough at a speed of 14.7 knots (27.2 km / h), causing damage on the boat and minor injuries to the crew. When it emerged, it drove to the base in Faslane-on-Clyde .
Web links
- Description Engl. and picture
- Entry on Fladda-chùain in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland's database
Coordinates: 57 ° 45 ′ N , 6 ° 26 ′ W