Stronsay

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Stronsay
The Vat of Kirbister
The Vat of Kirbister
Waters North Sea
Archipelago Orkney Islands
Geographical location 59 ° 6 '47 "  N , 2 ° 36' 11"  W Coordinates: 59 ° 6 '47 "  N , 2 ° 36' 11"  W.
Location of Stronsay
length 10 km
width 9.5 km
surface 32.75 km²
Highest elevation Burgh Hill
44  m
Residents 349 (2011)
11 inhabitants / km²
main place Whitehall

Stronsay is a Scottish island belonging to the Orkneys , about 20 km northeast of Mainland .

Today 350 people live on the island, which is rich in fresh water , about ten kilometers long and up to 9.5 kilometers wide and has an area of ​​32.75 km². During the main season of herring fishing in the middle of the 19th century, the island had about 5000 inhabitants. In 2011 there were still 349 inhabitants. The Transalpine Redemptorists built the Golgotha ​​monastery on the island in 2000.

The main town is the Whitehall ferry terminal with connections to Kirkwall on the Mainland and to the neighboring islands of Eday and Sanday . There is a small local airfield in the north .

The main occupations are fishing and agriculture (primarily livestock farming ) and tourism .

Attractions

Above all, nature is worth seeing. There are some beautiful beaches and in the east the steep coast with sea caves, gloups ( blowholes ) and the Vat of Kirbister , an impressive rock arch. Otherwise there are sparse remains of two Brochs (Benni Cuml, Hillock of Breawest), remains of Stalled Cairns on Lamb Ness on the rather flat island . Some ancient cooking places are particularly well preserved at Kirbuster.

Papa Stronsay is one of the small side islands that are otherwise often referred to as calf (calf) or holm. This is the island on which probably Orkney's oldest monastery stood. The St. Nicholas Chapel is a small medieval church that probably dates from the 11th century and began life as a simple, single-cell, rectangular stone church. In the 12th century, a central nave with two side altars and a chancel containing the main altar was added. The chapel had been abandoned since the Reformation in the 16th century but was used as a farm building until 1790 when it was destroyed.

In 1808, an animal carcass known as the Stronsay Monster was found on the island by a fisherman .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 2011 census data

Web links

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