North Rona

North Rona ( Scottish Gaelic: Rònaigh, also Rona, formerly Ronay ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. The addition of North contributes to differentiation of South Rona, which is part of the Inner Hebrides. North Rona is of all British Isles, the most remote island, which was permanently inhabited.

Geography

North Rona is located approximately 70 kilometers north- northeast of the northern tip of the main island of Lewis. The only island lying near Sula is Sgeir, 16 kilometers west of North Rona. From the Faroe Islands from North Rona is the closest area.

The island is 1.1 km ². The highest elevation is the Tobha Rònaigh with 108 meters.

History

St. Ronan said to have lived in the 8th century on North Rona. The St Ronan's Chapel on the island stands as a ruin. The island was inhabited permanently by around 30 people, and 1685 came through a shipwreck rats on the island that destroyed the food supplies of the inhabitants. As a result, the island's population died of starvation. In the following years, North Rona was resettled in 1695 abandoned again after a shipwreck. Before 1844 lived individual shepherds and their families on the island. The sale of the island they had to leave North Rona. The new owner gave the government the island as a penal colony at, but this was rejected. She has since been used by sheep farmers of Lewis as pasture.

The island is part of the company Scottish Natural Heritage today.

North Rona is today, along with Sula Sgeir, Conservation Area. It has significant gray seal and seabird colonies.

Building

In addition to the St Ronan's Chapel and numerous other ruins there on North Rona a remote lighthouse. He stands on the Tobha Rònaigh.

Traffic

There is no regular shipping traffic to North Rona. Visitors have to rent a boat on Lewis.