Muldoanich
Encyclopedia
Muldoanich is one of the islands in the Barra Isles
archipelago at the southern extremity of the larger island chain of the Outer Hebrides
of Scotland.
The island is 78 hectares (193 acres - about a third of a sq. mile) in area and rises to a maximum height of 153 metres (502 ft) at the peak of Cruachan na h-àin ("midday hill").
Muldoanich stands about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south west of Castlebay
, the main port on the island of Barra
and it is a prominent landmark for the approaching ferry and other craft. It has no level ground and is uninhabited. There are no census records, but the southern headland of Vanish (meaning "headland of the house" or "sacred place" in Gaelic) may indicate habitation at some time in the past.
referred to the island as "Scarp" and it appears as "Scarpa"on Blaeu's atlas of 1654.
Martin Martin
refers to "Muldonish" in his 1695 voyage around the Western Isles, stating "about a mile in circumference; it is high in the middle, covered over with heath and grass, and is the only forest here for maintaining the deer, being commonly about seventy or eighty in number."
Barra Isles
The Barra Isles, also known as the Bishop's Isles as they were historically owned by the Bishop of the Isles, are a small archipelago of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. They lie south of the island of Barra, for which they are named. The group consists of nine islands, and numerous...
archipelago at the southern extremity of the larger island chain of 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.
Muldoanich stands about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south west of Castlebay
Castlebay
Castlebay is the main village and a community council area on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is located on the south coast of the island, and overlooks a bay in the Atlantic Ocean dominated by Kisimul Castle, as well as nearby islands such as Vatersay.- Church :The...
, the main port on the island of Barra
Barra
The island of Barra is a predominantly Gaelic-speaking island, and apart from the adjacent island of Vatersay, to which it is connected by a causeway, is the southernmost inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.-Geography:The 2001 census showed that the resident population was 1,078...
and it is a prominent landmark for the approaching ferry and other craft. It has no level ground and is uninhabited. There are no census records, but the southern headland of Vanish (meaning "headland of the house" or "sacred place" in Gaelic) may indicate habitation at some time in the past.
Etymology
The name "Muldoanich" is probably the anglicised version of the meaning "Duncan's rounded hill". Mul Domhnach meaning "Sunday island" is another possible derivation. Writing in the 16th century, Dean MunroDonald Monro (Dean)
Donald Monro was a Scottish clergyman, who wrote an early and historically valuable description of the Hebrides and other Scottish islands and enjoyed the honorific title of “Dean of the Isles”.-Origins:...
referred to the island as "Scarp" and it appears as "Scarpa"on Blaeu's atlas of 1654.
Martin Martin
Martin Martin
Martin Martin was a Scottish writer best known for his work A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland . This book is particularly noted for its information on the St Kilda archipelago...
refers to "Muldonish" in his 1695 voyage around the Western Isles, stating "about a mile in circumference; it is high in the middle, covered over with heath and grass, and is the only forest here for maintaining the deer, being commonly about seventy or eighty in number."