The Oa
Encyclopedia
The Oa is a rocky region in the southwest of Islay
, in Argyll, Scotland. It is an RSPB nature reserve
.
The area is almost an island; its high point is Beinn Mhòr 202 metres (663 ft), in the south. It used to have a population of 800 in 1830 but became deserted due to the Highland Clearances
. The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918, SS Tuscania
, a passenger liner and HMS Otranto
.
The area around the memorial is an RSPB Nature Reserve, where chough
, golden eagle
s, corncrakes and sea birds can be seen. 1931 ha have been designated as a Special Protection Area
for the protection of the chough. Ireland
can be seen from the south peninsula on a clear day.
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, in Argyll, Scotland. It is an RSPB nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
.
The area is almost an island; its high point is Beinn Mhòr 202 metres (663 ft), in the south. It used to have a population of 800 in 1830 but became deserted due to the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918, SS Tuscania
SS Tuscania (1914)
The SS Tuscania was a luxury liner of the Cunard subsidiary Anchor Line, named after a town in Italy. She was torpedoed in 1918 by the German U-boat UB-77 while carrying American troops to Europe and sank with a loss of 210 lives.-Commercial career:...
, a passenger liner and HMS Otranto
HMS Otranto
HMS Otranto was a First World War Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser. She was originally the SS Otranto, built in 1909 by the Belfast yard of Workman Clark for the Orient Steam Navigation Company.-Passenger ship:...
.
The area around the memorial is an RSPB Nature Reserve, where chough
Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
, golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s, corncrakes and sea birds can be seen. 1931 ha have been designated as a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
for the protection of the chough. Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
can be seen from the south peninsula on a clear day.