Little Cumbrae
Encyclopedia
Little Cumbrae is an island
in the Firth of Clyde
, in North Ayrshire
, Scotland
. The island is known locally as Wee Cumbrae.
-speaking inhabitants of the Kingdom of Strathclyde
. Alternatively, the name Cumbrae may derive from Kil Maura meaning "cell or church of a female saint".
Little Cumbrae was recorded as Kumbrey circa 1300, Cumbraye circa 1330 and Litill Comeray in 1515 and was also formerly known as Little or Wee Cumray.
The Cumbraes
are referred to as the Kumreyiar in the Norse Saga of Haakon Haakonarson
.
. The islands are collectively referred to as The Cumbraes
. In stark contrast to its neighbour, green and fertile Great Cumbrae
, Little Cumbrae is a rough and rocky island. With its many cliffs and rocky outcrop
s, Little Cumbrae bears more of a resemblance to a Hebridean
island than to some of its neighbours in the Clyde.
A number of uninhabited islets skirt the island's east coast, Castle Isle
, the Broad Islands and Trail Isle.
Today the island's main settlement is at Little Cumbrae House on the eastern shore, facing the Scottish mainland.
Robert II
is said to have built a castle on the island which was demolished by Cromwell
's soldiers in 1653.
In the early 20th century, under the ownership of Evelyn Stuart Parker, a new ‘mansion house’ was created from the original single storey farmhouse, the gardens were laid out to a plan by Gertrude Jekyll, the renowned garden designer, and substantial repairs were undertaken to the castle and the original lighthouse. The original work commenced in 1913, with subsequent alterations made between 1926 and 1929 when the square tower and top floor were added.
Little Cumbrae is the birthplace of James Archbald
, the first mayor of Carbondale, Pennsylvania.
on the top of Lighthouse Hill in 1757. This was the second lighthouse in Scotland. An open fire was lit at the top of a circular stone tower. Remains of this old structure can still be seen.
The traditional Cumbrae Lighthouse was built in 1793 by Thomas Smith
under commission from the Commissioners of the Northern Lights
. The lighthouse lies on a broad raised beach
on the western shore of the island looking out into the Firth. It had a foghorn, slipway, jetty, and boathouse. The original oil lamps were replaced by Argand lamp
s in 1826 and a solar-powered light was installed in 1974. The 1793 tower has been unused since 1997, with the light on 36-foot hexagonal/cylindrical tower adjacent to the old generator house.
The island was sold again in July 2009 for £2 million. The buyers of the island, Scottish millionaire couple of Indian extraction, Sarwan and Sunita Poddar, opened there a yoga and meditation centre with the help of yoga guru Swami Baba Ramdev
. There have also been rumours of the new owners planning to rename it "Peace Island", but those have been denied.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
, in North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The island is known locally as Wee Cumbrae.
Etymology
The Gaelic name Cumaradh means "place of the Cymric people", referring to the BrythonicBritish language
The British language was an ancient Celtic language spoken in Britain.British language may also refer to:* Any of the Languages of the United Kingdom.*The Welsh language or the Brythonic languages more generally* British English...
-speaking inhabitants of the Kingdom of Strathclyde
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
. Alternatively, the name Cumbrae may derive from Kil Maura meaning "cell or church of a female saint".
Little Cumbrae was recorded as Kumbrey circa 1300, Cumbraye circa 1330 and Litill Comeray in 1515 and was also formerly known as Little or Wee Cumray.
The Cumbraes
The Cumbraes
The Cumbraes are a group of islands in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The islands belong to the traditional county of Bute and the modern unitary authority of North Ayrshire.The main islands in the group are:* Great Cumbrae* Little Cumbrae...
are referred to as the Kumreyiar in the Norse Saga of Haakon Haakonarson
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar is an Old Norse kings' saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla Þórðarson, in the 1260s...
.
Geography
Little Cumbrae lies barely a kilometre to the south of its larger neighbour, Great CumbraeGreat Cumbrae
Great Cumbrae is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland...
. The islands are collectively referred to as The Cumbraes
The Cumbraes
The Cumbraes are a group of islands in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. The islands belong to the traditional county of Bute and the modern unitary authority of North Ayrshire.The main islands in the group are:* Great Cumbrae* Little Cumbrae...
. In stark contrast to its neighbour, green and fertile Great Cumbrae
Great Cumbrae
Great Cumbrae is the larger of the two islands known as The Cumbraes in the lower Firth of Clyde in western Scotland...
, Little Cumbrae is a rough and rocky island. With its many cliffs and rocky outcrop
Outcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
s, Little Cumbrae bears more of a resemblance to a Hebridean
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
island than to some of its neighbours in the Clyde.
A number of uninhabited islets skirt the island's east coast, Castle Isle
Castle Island, Scotland
Castle Island or Allimturrail is a small tidal island, lying off the east coast of Little Cumbrae, and to the west of Trail Island, in the Firth of Clyde. It is joined to Little Cumbrae at low tide....
, the Broad Islands and Trail Isle.
Today the island's main settlement is at Little Cumbrae House on the eastern shore, facing the Scottish mainland.
History
Robert II of Scotland
Robert II became King of Scots in 1371 as the first monarch of the House of Stewart. He was the son of Walter Stewart, hereditary High Steward of Scotland and of Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert I and of his first wife Isabella of Mar...
is said to have built a castle on the island which was demolished by Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's soldiers in 1653.
In the early 20th century, under the ownership of Evelyn Stuart Parker, a new ‘mansion house’ was created from the original single storey farmhouse, the gardens were laid out to a plan by Gertrude Jekyll, the renowned garden designer, and substantial repairs were undertaken to the castle and the original lighthouse. The original work commenced in 1913, with subsequent alterations made between 1926 and 1929 when the square tower and top floor were added.
Little Cumbrae is the birthplace of James Archbald
James Archbald
-Beginnings:James Archbald was born 3 March 1793, on Little Cumbrae island, off the Ayrshire Coast of Scotland. Born to a family of shepherds, without any privileges, James Archbald had a bright future ahead of him. The agricultural lifestyle had its disadvantages, namely the treatment received...
, the first mayor of Carbondale, Pennsylvania.
Cumbrae Lighthouse
James Ewing built the first Little Cumbrae lighthouseLighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on the top of Lighthouse Hill in 1757. This was the second lighthouse in Scotland. An open fire was lit at the top of a circular stone tower. Remains of this old structure can still be seen.
The traditional Cumbrae Lighthouse was built in 1793 by Thomas Smith
Thomas Smith (engineer)
Thomas Smith was a Scottish businessman and early lighthouse engineer. Born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, his father drowned in Dundee harbour when he was young...
under commission from the Commissioners of the Northern Lights
Northern Lighthouse Board
The Northern Lighthouse Board is the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is a non-departmental public body responsible for marine navigation aids around coastal areas.-History:...
. The lighthouse lies on a broad raised beach
Raised beach
A raised beach, marine terrace, or perched coastline is an emergent coastal landform. Raised beaches and marine terraces are beaches or wave-cut platforms raised above the shore line by a relative fall in the sea level ....
on the western shore of the island looking out into the Firth. It had a foghorn, slipway, jetty, and boathouse. The original oil lamps were replaced by Argand lamp
Argand lamp
The Argand lamp is home lighting oil lamp producing a light output of 6 to 10 candlepower which was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand...
s in 1826 and a solar-powered light was installed in 1974. The 1793 tower has been unused since 1997, with the light on 36-foot hexagonal/cylindrical tower adjacent to the old generator house.
Ownership
Little Cumbrae was privately purchased in 2003 and there were plans for its development as a memorial park, nature reserve and corporate escape.The island was sold again in July 2009 for £2 million. The buyers of the island, Scottish millionaire couple of Indian extraction, Sarwan and Sunita Poddar, opened there a yoga and meditation centre with the help of yoga guru Swami Baba Ramdev
Swami Ramdev
Swami Ramdev is popularly known as Baba Ramdev. This young monk has attained immence popularity in a very short span of time. His yog-camps are attended by a large number of people in India and abroad...
. There have also been rumours of the new owners planning to rename it "Peace Island", but those have been denied.