Hyskeir

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Not to be confused with the Monach Islands also known as "Heisker", or Haskeir.

Hyskeir (Scottish Gaelic: Òigh-sgeir) or Heyskeir is a group of low-lying rocky islets composed of basalt columns. They are located in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland at the southern entrance to the Minch, 10 kilometres southwest of the island of Canna and 14 kilometres west of Rùm and is sometimes included with these as part of the Small Isles.

Garbh Sgeir is a rock that lies next to the islet and the landing place for Hyskeir lies in the channel between the two. Both islands are unoccupied.

1 Etymology
2 History
3 Wildlife
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Etymology

Hyskeir is from the Old Norse sker meaning skerry. Òigh-sgeir is Gaelic for 'maiden' or 'virgin rock', sgeir also meaning skerry. The English name 'Maiden Rock' has also been used.

[edit] History

The Island in 1892.^[1]

The owner of the island in the 19th and early 20th centuries was Robert Thom. At that time sheep from Canna were brought to make use of the summer grazing.

A 39 metre high lighthouse was built on the islands in 1904 to mark the southern end of the Minch and to warn of the presence of the Mills Rocks, Canna Island and Hyskeir itself. It was designed by David and Charles Stevenson and constructed by Oban contractor Messrs D & J MacDougall.

The white tower was manned until March 1997 when it became one of the last lighthouses in Scotland to be automated. The keepers briefly became well known for their one-hole golf course following their appearance on TV.

It is now controlled from the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh. The lantern is 41 metres above mean sea level and displays three white flashes every thirty seconds.

[edit] Wildlife

Gavin Maxwell, who fished for basking sharks nearby in 1947, recorded a mass sighting of Basking Sharks. “It was a gigantic shoal ... at one moment we counted 54 dorsal fins in sight at the same time.”

The island has nesting sites for Arctic and Common Tern, Kittiwakes and Eider Ducks and also has a large seal colony

[edit] References

^ Harvie-Brown, J.A. and Buckley, T. E. (1892), A Vertebrate Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides. Pub. David Douglas., Edinburgh. Facing p. XXIV

Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
Maxwell, Gavin (1952) "Harpoon at a Venture" quoted in "Big Mouth, No Voice: Campaigning to protect basking sharks" IFAW. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
Murray, W.H. (1966) The Hebrides. London. Heinemann.