The Minch

The Minch
	The Little Minch, looking towards Loch na Madadh, North Uist
Connects waters	Sea of Hebrides
with water	North Atlantic
Separates land mass	Outer Hebrides
of land mass	Mainland Scotland , ; Isle of Skye
	Data
Geographical location	57 ° 55 ′ N , 6 ° 5 ′ W Coordinates: 57 ° 55 ′ N , 6 ° 5 ′ W
length	110 km
Smallest width	25 km
Coastal towns	Stornoway , Ullapool
Islands	Shiant Islands
	Map of the Hebrides with the Minch and Little Minch

The Minch ( Scottish Gaelic An Cuan Sgìth, Cuan na Hearadh, An Cuan Leòdhasach, German also Minch Canal ), also known as The North Minch , is a strait in northwestern Scotland that spans the northwestern Highlands and the northern Inner Hebrides from the twin island of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides . In Old Norwegian it was known as "Skotlandsfjörð" ("Scotland fjord ").

The Lower Minch ( An Cuan Canach ), also known as The Little Minch , lies further south and separates Skye from the more southern Outer Hebrides of North Uist , Benbecula , South Uist , Barra and other small islands. It opens into the Sea of the Hebrides . The Minch, the Sea of the Hebrides and the North Channel form from the IHO classified marine area Inner Seas of the west coast of Scotland , also known as Inner Scottish Sea or Scottish lake .

The Minch is between 30 and 70 kilometers wide and about 110 kilometers long. This is probably where the largest meteorite ever hit the British Isles took place. The Lower Minch is about 25 kilometers wide.

The Minch Project is a joint project of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar , the Highland Council and the Scottish Natural Heritage . It wants to fight pollution in the Minch, reduce erosion and waste and promote tourism - especially nature tourism such as watching dolphins. The reduction of pollution is a particular concern, since the Minch is a busy ship passage - the mass of the passing ships is 2.5 million tons per month.

Caledonian MacBrayne has ferry services across the Minch.

Web links

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

Individual evidence

↑ Joseph Anderson (Ed.): Orkneyinga saga . Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie. James Thin and Mercat Press, Edinburgh 1893 (reprinted 1990). ISBN 0-901824-25-9
↑ Spec. Pub. the IHO S-23 (3rd Edition 1953), Limits of Oceans and Seas , No. 18; also draft 4th edition, 1986
↑ 'Biggest UK space impact found' , BBC News.

[1] Joseph Anderson (Ed.): Orkneyinga saga . Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin and Gilbert Goudie. James Thin and Mercat Press, Edinburgh 1893 (reprinted 1990). ISBN 0-901824-25-9

[2] Spec. Pub. the IHO S-23 (3rd Edition 1953), Limits of Oceans and Seas , No. 18; also draft 4th edition, 1986

[3] 'Biggest UK space impact found' , BBC News.