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Grimsay

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Revision as of 10:21, 30 September 2010 by Stemonitis (talk | contribs) (dab lobster)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other places with the same name, see Grimsay (disambiguation).
Grimsay
Scottish Gaelic nameGriomasaigh
Old Norse nameGrímsey
Meaning of nameON: Grim's Island
Location
OS grid referenceNF855572
Physical geography
Island groupUist and Barra
Area833 hectares (3.22 sq mi)
Area rank58 
Highest elevation22 m
Administration
Council areaOuter Hebrides
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population201
Population rank32 
Largest settlementBàgh Mòr and Ceallan
Lymphad
References
Bagh Mòr on Grimsay, with Ronay in distance
A wheelhouse on Grimsay

Grimsay (Template:Lang-gd) is a tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.

Grimsay is the largest of the low-lying stepping-stones which convey the Oitir Mhòr (North Ford) causeway, a five mile arc of single track road linking North Uist and Benbecula via the western tip of Grimsay. Until it opened in 1960, a ferry linked Carinish (on North Uist) with Gramisdale (on Benbecula), but could only operate at high tide. There was also a ford which could only be crossed close to low water, usually only with a guide. For significant parts of each day the North Ford was too wet to ford and not wet enough to cross by ferry. East of Grimsay lie several smaller islands including Ronay which was inhabited until the 1920s.

The main settlements are Baymore (Bàgh Mòr) and Kallin (Ceallan) at the eastern end of the island. Grimsay has a harbour at Kallin, which is the base to a sizeable shellfish industry, the island's main industry, mostly for lobster, prawns and scallops. Also in Kallin is The Boatshed, a marine repair facility which promotes traditional skills and includes a museum. Boat building was previously important. Grimsay is encircled by a single-track road that links most of the island's small croft and fishing settlements together.

There is a fine example of an Iron-Age wheelhouse on the northeast coast of the island at Bagh nam Feadag (The Grimsay Wheelhouse).

Footnotes

  1. ^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  2. 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
  3. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
  4. Ordnance Survey
  5. Iain Mac an Tàilleir. "Placenames" (PDF). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  6. ^ "Overview of Grimsay". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  7. "Feature Page: Grimsay". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  8. "Grimsay Boat Project". LEADER+. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
  9. "Grimsay Wheelhouse". Alasdair McKenzie. Retrieved 30 November 2009.
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57°29′31″N 7°14′39″W / 57.49194°N 7.24417°W / 57.49194; -7.24417


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