Eileanan Chearabhaigh
Encyclopedia
Eileanan Chearabhaigh is a collection of small uninhabited tidal islands off the south east coast of Benbecula
in the Outer Hebrides
of Scotland. The English language name Keiravagh Islands is sometimes used.
Bounded by the tidal waters of Loch Chearabhaigh to the north and Loch a' Laip to the south, the land area of the group defies a simple description. At low tide the islands form a peninsula with a total area of 100 hectares (247.1 acre), which is connected to Benbecula by drying sands. At high tide the connection to Benbecula is lost and a number of small islets stretching for over 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from east to west appear, the largest of which is about 31 hectares (76.6 acre) in extent. None of these individual islets are named by the Ordnance Survey
.
The uninhabited island of Wiay
lies to the south and fish farming is undertaken in the productive waters of Loch a' Laip and Loch Chearabhaigh. Loch a' Laip also provides shelter for visiting water craft but the area is strewn with rocks and skerries
. There is a pier on Benbecula served by a track at the western end of Eileanan Chearabhaigh and another to the south at Eilean na Cille, although their use without local knowledge is not advised.
Benbecula
Benbecula is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,249, with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It forms part of the area administered by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar or the Western...
in the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Scotland. The English language name Keiravagh Islands is sometimes used.
Bounded by the tidal waters of Loch Chearabhaigh to the north and Loch a' Laip to the south, the land area of the group defies a simple description. At low tide the islands form a peninsula with a total area of 100 hectares (247.1 acre), which is connected to Benbecula by drying sands. At high tide the connection to Benbecula is lost and a number of small islets stretching for over 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from east to west appear, the largest of which is about 31 hectares (76.6 acre) in extent. None of these individual islets are named by the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
.
The uninhabited island of Wiay
Wiay, Uist
Wiay is an uninhabited island in the Outer Hebrides.It lies south-east of Benbecula and measures approximately 930 acres . The Eileanan Chearabhaigh lie to the north beyond Loch a' Laip....
lies to the south and fish farming is undertaken in the productive waters of Loch a' Laip and Loch Chearabhaigh. Loch a' Laip also provides shelter for visiting water craft but the area is strewn with rocks and skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
. There is a pier on Benbecula served by a track at the western end of Eileanan Chearabhaigh and another to the south at Eilean na Cille, although their use without local knowledge is not advised.
See also
Nearby islands with a similarly complex geography:- Ceallasaigh MòrCeallasaigh MòrCeallasaigh Mòr is a low-lying island in Loch Maddy off North Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.-Footnotes:...
- Eileanan IasgaichEileanan IasgaichNa h-Eileanan Iasgaich comprise a small uninhabited archipelago in Loch Boisdale, in the south east of the island of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. The individual islands are separated from one another at high tide, but connected to one another at low tide,...