Linga spar

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Linga spar
Waters North Sea
Archipelago Orkney Islands
Geographical location 59 ° 7 '57 "  N , 2 ° 40' 27"  W Coordinates: 59 ° 7 '57 "  N , 2 ° 40' 27"  W.
Location of Linga Holm
length 1.5 km
width 1.1 km
surface 57 ha
Highest elevation 18  m
Residents uninhabited

Linga Holm , also known as Midgarth or Holm of Midgarth , is a small, uninhabited island 700 m off the west coast of Stronsay ( Orkney , United Kingdom ). It measures around 57 hectares. The name Linga Holm comes from the Old Norse Lyngholm .

As on other Orkney islands, archaeological remains can be found here . On the flat floor there is a huge mess of standing and fallen panels. Some stand 0.5 m high and form a complex of interconnected chambers. It is about 19 m wide and apparently has a narrow entrance at the southern end, which is directly by the sea. The complex is similar to the structure on Auskerry and is even better preserved and probably a Pictish house . In 1841 there were still six inhabitants on the island.

Linga Holm is now a total protected area under the local statutes of the Orkney Islands Council and serves exclusively as a reserve for a wild replacement herd of North Ronaldsay sheep, which are threatened with extinction due to the less favorable conditions on their home island. The island is believed to be the third largest breeding area for the gray seal and it serves as an important nesting area for the gray geese .

Entry to the island is prohibited all year round.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Joseph Anderson (ed.): The Orkneyinga Saga. Translated from the Icelandic by Jon A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie. Edited with notes and introduction. Edmonston & Douglas, Edinburgh 1873, ( digitized version ).
  2. Hamish Haswell-Smith: The Scottish Islands. A comprehensive Guide to every Scottish Island. Fully revised 2nd edition. Canongate, Edinburgh et al. a. 2004, ISBN 1-84195-454-3 .
  3. FreeCEN Orkney website