| Revision as of 11:50, 22 April 2007 editMacRusgail (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers69,084 edits →References← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:00, 23 April 2007 edit undoMacRusgail (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers69,084 editsNo edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] in the background at left.]] | ] in the background at left.]] | ||
| '''Dùn''' (or "Dun" without the diacritic) is one of the ] archipelago. It is nearly a mile long. Its name simply means "fort" in ] (for more information, see "]"), but the fort itself has been lost - old maps show it on Gob an Dùin (NF109972), which is at the seaward end. | '''Dùn''' (or "Dun" without the diacritic) is one of the ] archipelago. It is nearly a mile long. Its name simply means "fort" in ] (for more information, see "]"), but the fort itself has been lost - old maps show it on Gob an Dùin ({{gbmappingsmall|NF109972}}), which is at the seaward end. | ||
| Almost joined to ] at Ruiaval, the two islands are separated by Caolas an Dùin (the straits of Dùn). This prevents ] from Hirta straying onto the island, and thus it is more vegetated. | Almost joined to ] at Ruiaval, the two islands are separated by Caolas an Dùin (the straits of Dùn). This prevents ] from Hirta straying onto the island, and thus it is more vegetated. | ||
| The small island is home to the largest colony of ]s in ]. Prior to 1828 St Kilda was their only ] breeding ground but they have since spread and established colonies elsewhere such as at ].<ref> Retrieved 24 March 2007</ref> | The small island is home to the largest colony of ]s in ]. Prior to 1828 St Kilda was their only ] breeding ground but they have since spread and established colonies elsewhere such as at ].<ref> Retrieved 24 March 2007</ref> | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 17:00, 23 April 2007
Dùn (or "Dun" without the diacritic) is one of the St Kilda archipelago. It is nearly a mile long. Its name simply means "fort" in Scottish Gaelic (for more information, see "dun"), but the fort itself has been lost - old maps show it on Gob an Dùin (NF109972), which is at the seaward end.
Almost joined to Hirta at Ruiaval, the two islands are separated by Caolas an Dùin (the straits of Dùn). This prevents Soay sheep from Hirta straying onto the island, and thus it is more vegetated.
The small island is home to the largest colony of fulmars in Britain. Prior to 1828 St Kilda was their only British Isles breeding ground but they have since spread and established colonies elsewhere such as at Fowlsheugh.
The island of Dùn (fort), which protects Village Bay from the prevailing south-westerly winds, was at one time joined to Hirta by a natural arch. MacLean (1972) suggests that the arch was broken when struck by a galleon fleeing the defeat of the Armada, but other sources, such as Mitchell (1992), provide the more credible (if less romantic) explanation that the arch was simply swept away by one of the many fierce storms which batter the islands every winter.
References
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish The Scottish Islands
- Fisher, James & Waterston, George (Nov. 1941) The Breeding Distribution, History and Population of The Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) in the British Isles. Edinburgh. The Journal of Animal Ecology, Vol. 10, No. 2 pp. 204-272.
- MacLean, Charles Island on the Edge of the World: the Story of St. Kilda, Canongate, 1977
| Islands of St Kilda (Hiort) | |
|---|---|
| Islands | |
| Endemic species | |
| Unique sheep breeds | |
| History | |
 | This article about a location in the Western Isles is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |