Orsay (island)

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Orsay
View of Orsay with the lighthouse
View of Orsay with the lighthouse
Waters Atlantic Ocean
Archipelago Inner Hebrides
Geographical location 55 ° 40 '25 "  N , 6 ° 30' 45"  W Coordinates: 55 ° 40 '25 "  N , 6 ° 30' 45"  W.
Orsay (island) (Scotland)
Orsay (island)
length 740 m
width 480 m
surface 24 ha
Highest elevation 24  m
Residents uninhabited

Orsay is a small, uninhabited Scottish island that belongs to the Inner Hebrides group. The maximum 740 m long and 480 m wide island is located near the southern tip of the west of the island of Islay peninsula of Rhinns of Islay . It is separated from this by a 100 m wide waterway. It rises up to a height of 24 m from the water. Administratively, Orsay belongs to the Council Area Argyll and Bute or historically to the county of Argyllshire . Opposite Orsay, on the island of Islay is the village of Port Wemyss , to the north is Eilean Mhic Coinnich or Mackenzie Island.

history

There is evidence that monks settled on Orsay as early as the 8th and 9th centuries. This is supported, among other things, by the discovery of cross fragments from this period. Probably in the 14th century they built St Oran's Chapel , which is now in ruins. It is not clear whether this is the first church at this location or whether there were previous buildings. The church is recorded in records and maps from the 16th century and appears to have been in use. At the end of the 18th century it was already in ruins. In 1825 a lighthouse, the Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse , was built on Orsay by Robert Stevenson . Together with the ruins of the chapel and Hugh MacKay's tomb , they are the only surviving structures on the island. They are all registered in the Scottish List of Monuments.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Orsay. In: David Munro, Bruce Gittings: Scotland. An Encyclopedia of Places & Landscapes. Collins et al., Glasgow 2006, ISBN 0-00-472466-6 .
  2. ↑ Orsay. In: Francis H. Groome: Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical. Volume 5: (Lib - Pet). Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh et al. 1884, p. 145.
  3. ↑ Entry on Island Chapel  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)
  4. ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .

Web links

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