Raasay

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Raasay
Raasay
Raasay
Waters Atlantic Ocean
Archipelago Inner Hebrides
Geographical location 57 ° 24 ′  N , 6 ° 3 ′  W Coordinates: 57 ° 24 ′  N , 6 ° 3 ′  W
Location of Raasay
length 23 km
width 4.8 km
surface 64 km²
Highest elevation Dùn Caan
441  m
Residents 161 (2011)
2.5 inhabitants / km²
main place Inverarish
Brochel Castle on Raasay
Brochel Castle on Raasay

Raasay ( Scottish Gaelic: Ratharsair, also Ratharsaigh; German deer island ) is an island in the Inner Hebrides between Skye and the Scottish mainland. In 2011, 161 people lived on Raasay.

geography

Raasay is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from the Applecross Peninsula by the Inner Sound . The almost uninhabited small island of South Rona lies a good 600 meters off its north coast, the island of Scalpay off its south coast. Both Raasay and Rona belong to the Civil parish Portree , which is mostly on Skye and also contains the eponymous capital Portree on the Isle of Skye.

The area of ​​the island extends around 22 kilometers from north to south and measures five kilometers from east to west at its widest point. The highest point is the Dun Caan at 441 meters , an unusual summit with a flattened top. The village of Inverarish is near the southeast coast. Part of the village served as a prisoner-of-war camp during the First World War . The inmates had to work in the island's ore mine, which was shut down shortly after the end of the war.

Today the residents work in fishing, for the ferry company or commute to their jobs in Portree on Skye. There is the Raasay Distillery on site . There is a primary school ; older students must take the ferry and bus to Portree .

Because the island is geologically interesting, it is visited by many students who work here on mapping projects.

Sights include the remains of a broch , the ruins of Brochel Castle , menhirs , Pictish stones , the old landlord's Raasay House and many hiking trails. Raasay is home to the Raasay vole , a subspecies of Myodes glareolus that is only native to this island. There are also many different plant species, numerous bird species and a large population of otters .

A 25 minute ferry trip connects the island with Sconser on Skye. A small shop and post office are located in Inverarish. Accommodation can be found at the Isle of Raasay Hotel, the Raasay Outdoor Center, the youth hostel or the distillery.

Because many people here pay attention to Sunday , no services are offered on this day. Until 2004 the ferry didn't even run on Sundays.

At Eyre Point is the stone box of Eyre Point with a huge capstone and the basement of Suisnish.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Iain Mac Tàilleir: Place-names. (PDF) In: Scottish Parliament. P. 99 , accessed on November 26, 2019 (English).
  2. ↑ 2011 census data
  3. ^ Homepage of the Raasay Distillery
  4. ↑ Raasay ferry connections
  5. ^ Luxury Isle of Raasay Accommodation

literature

  • Norma MacLeod: Raasay. The Island and its People. Birlinn, Edinburgh 2002, ISBN 1-84158-235-2 .

Web links

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