Orsay, Inner Hebrides

Orsay is a small, uninhabited Scottish island, which belongs to the group of the Inner Hebrides. The maximum 740 m long and 480 m wide island is located near the southern tip of the city, in the west of the island of Islay peninsula Rhinns of Islay. From this it is separated by a 100 m wide waterway. It rises to a height of 24 m from the water. Administratively Orsay belongs to the unitary authority Argyll and Bute or historically to the county Argyllshire. On Islay Orsay is located opposite the village of Port Wemyss.

History

There is evidence that monks settled in the 8th and 9th century Orsay. This is supported, among others, by the discovery of cross fragments from this period. Probably in the 14th century, they built the St. Oran 's Chapel, which is now preserved as a ruin. Whether this is the first church on this site, or if there was already predecessors, is not clear. In records and maps dating from the 16th century, the church is listed and appears to be still been used. At the end of the 18th century, it was probably already a ruin. In 1825 was at Orsay by Robert Stevenson, a lighthouse, the Rhinns of Islay Lighthouse, built. Together with the ruins of the chapel and the grave Hugh MacKay they constitute the only surviving structures on the island. They are all entered in the Scottish monument lists.