Graemsay
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| Norse name | Grímsey[1] |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Grímr's Island |
 An aerial view of Graemsay, from above Hoy |
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| Location | |
 Graemsay
Graemsay shown within Orkney
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| OS grid reference | HY255055 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Orkney Islands |
| Area | 409 ha (1.58 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 76 [2] |
| Highest elevation | West Hill 62 m (203 ft) |
| Political geography | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Orkney |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 28[3] |
| Population rank | 60 [2] |
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| References | [4][5][6] |
Graemsay is an island in the western approaches to Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. The island has two lighthouses.
Contents
Geography and geology
Graemsay lies between Hoy and Stromness on Mainland Orkney, separated from the Mainland by Clestrain Sound. The island is 409 ha (1.58 sq mi) in area and is mainly crofted.
The island's geology is Old Red Sandstone of the Devonian period, with two volcanic faults. On the north coast there is granite-schist, a great rarity in Orkney.
Graemsay is surrounded by strong tidal races, known locally as roosts. An Orkney Ferries service, usually operated by MV Graemsay, links the island with Stromness and Moaness on Hoy.
Graemsay is sometimes referred to locally, as 'Orkney's green isle' due to its lush green vegetation cover.
Wildlife
Birds include oystercatchers, ringed plovers, redshank and curlew. Parts of the island are largely undeveloped and are a haven for wild plants.[citation needed]
History
As with many other Orkney Islands, there is a connection to the Celtic Church, possibly a pre-Norse one. There are the remains of two early churches, dedicated to St Bride and to St Columba.,[4] who are both saints of Irish origin.
The island has two lighthouses, Hoy High (NE) and Hoy Low (NW), both built in 1851 by Alan Stevenson[7] for the 19th-century herring industry.
At the Point of Oxan in the far north west, in Burra Sound, are block ships, which were scuttled deliberately during World War II. This is a common feature of the straits and former straits around Scapa Flow
The primary school closed in 1996 and the island's children travel daily by boat to school in Stromness on the ferry 'Graemsay.'[4]
Footnotes
- ↑ Anderson, Joseph (ed.) (1873) The Orkneyinga Saga. Translated by Jón A. Hjaltalin & Gilbert Goudie. Edinburgh. Edmonston and Douglas. The Internet Archive. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands >20ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- ↑ National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013) (pdf) Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland - Release 1C (Part Two). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland’s inhabited islands". Retrieved 17 August 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
- ↑ Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Ainmean-àite/Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Book about the History of Graemsay
http://www.orcadian.co.uk/shop/index.php?id_product=772&controller=product
External links
- - Run by the current residents of Hoy High Lighthouse, and attempts to give a flavour of life today on Graemsay.
- - The largest building, Sandside House, has been renovated and this web site describes the property and the island.
- - Contains information about all Graemsay families.
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