Soay, Skye

Soay ( Scottish Gaelic: Sòdhaigh, Old Norse: so - øy, German "Sheep Island" ) is an island of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.

Geography

Soay lies immediately south of Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides. From Skye it is separated by the Soay Sound. The island of Rum is located south of Soay.

Soay is 10.4 km ². The highest point is 141 meters high Beinn Bhreac. The island has the bays Soay Harbour in the north and Camas nan Gall ( German: "Bay of strangers" ) in the south of the shape of a dumbbell. The main settlement is mole chlach at Camas nan Gall. In Soay seven people ( as of 2001) ..

History

1851, the population was 158, reaching its peak. In the subsequent Highland Clearances many islanders were expelled.

1946 bought the writer Gavin Maxwell the island and built a factory to produce Haiöl of basking sharks ( Cetorhinus maximus). After three years, the factory was closed. The population of basking sharks around Soay has not recovered to this day by the then -exploitation.

1953 were relocated to Mull numerous, especially Gaelic-speaking inhabitants. Since then, Soay is only very weakly populated. On the island there was the first solar- controlled telephone system in the world.

Stamps

Between 1965 and 1967 stamps were issued in the name of the island of Soay. They show Europe motives. Some were overprinted with a memory of Winston Churchill. Since they were produced without the permission of the owner of the island, they are considered forgeries, but are sought after by collectors special.

Traffic

Soay is reachable by boat from Elgol on Skye.

Others

• An uninhabited island of St. Kilda archipelago is also called Soay, Soay see (St. Kilda ). Further, in the Outer Hebrides, the islands of Soay Mòr and Soay Beag, which are also uninhabited.