Treshnish Isles

 ( Islands Of Argyll And Bute ) 

The Treshnish Isles are an archipelago of small islands and skerry, lying west of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland. They are part of the Inner Hebrides. Trips to the Treshnish Isles operate from Ulva Ferry, Tobermory, Ardnamurchan and Tiree.

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Geography The archipelago extends over a distance of roughly , from the island of italic=no in the south (towards italic=no) to the north-east. The largest island in the group, Lunga, is west of Gometra, south-west of italic=no (on the Isle of Mull), south-east of Coll, and north-west of Staffa.Ordnance Survey Landranger Map (1:50 000) "Iona & West Mull". Sheet 48

Other relatively large islands in the group are italic=no, Fladda and italic=no. There are numerous small skerries, particularly north of Lunga. All the islands are of volcanic origin.Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 106

italic=no	Am Baca Beag
italic=no	Am Baca Mòr
Lunga	Lunga
italic=no	Sgeir a' Chaisteil
italic=no	Sgeir an Eirionnaich
Fladda	Flada
italic=no	Cairn Bhuirg Mòr
italic=no	Cairn Bhuirg Beag

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History There are several possible duns on the islands of Iron Age origin. Little is known of the early history, although these prominent landmarks would have been significant waypoints for the Norse settlers during their conquest in the early years of the Kingdom of the Isles,Treshnish Isles Management Plan p. 5 which lasted from the 9th to the 13th centuries. There are remains on Lunga of a village of abandoned in 1857.The Scottish Islands - Haswell-Smith (2008) p.108

Cairn na Burgh Mòr has the remains of a fort, on the site of an earlier Norse building, thought to have belonged to the chief of Clan MacDougall. Until 1354, it marked the division between the "Nordreys", the northern isles, and the "Sudreys", or southern isles. The smaller island of Cairn na Burgh Beag has the ruins of a fort occupied by the MacLeans of Duart during the Jacobite rising of 1715.

The Isles were purchased in 1938 by explorer and naturalist Col. Niall Rankin and they were sold to the Hebridean Trust in 2000.The Scottish Islands - Haswell-Smith (2008) p.106 The Trust are guardians of the islands to protect them and the wildlife and to monitor and study the ecology and archaeology. Hebridean Trust website In June 2023, the islands were placed under the protection of the National Trust for Scotland, allowing the Hebridean Trust to concentrate on community projects on Tiree.

Due to the beauty and remoteness of the Isles and the abundance of wildlife, particularly the , they are very popular with tourists who visit by boat, generally to Lunga, for day-trips during the summer.

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Etymology Treisinis is a Scottish Gaelic name of unknown meaning that includes the Old Norse root ness, meaning 'headland'.Mac an Tailleir (2003) p. 114

italic=no is also known as "The Dutchman's Cap" in English due to its shape. Bac Beag is from the Gaelic Am Baca Beag, with Bac meaning 'bank' or 'dune' and Beag simply being a diminutive in contrast to Mòr. italic=no is also known as Baca Rois in Gaelic, which means 'dune of the Ross' and is a reference to the shape of the island when framed against the Ross of Mull. Lunga is probably from the Old Norse lungr-øy, meaning 'longship island'.Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 105 Sgeir an Eirionnaich and Sgeir a' Chaisteil are Gaelic names meaning 'Irishman's skerry' and 'castle skerry' respectively. Cairn na Burgh Mòr means 'cairn of the large fort' and Cairn na Burgh Beg is thus 'cairn of the small fort'.

The name Fladda originates from the Old Norse for 'flat island'.Mac an Tailleir (2003) p. 50

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Natural history and conservation The Treshnish Isles are part of the Loch na Keal National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. They are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area due to their importance for breeding and a marine Special Area of Conservation. They are also known for their Atlantic and ruined .

The Treshnish Isles from above Port Haunn on Mull. Nearest are italic=no and italic=no. Behind are the low flat island of Fladda and the tallest island, Lunga, which obscures italic=no and italic=no beyond.	The Treshnish Isles from the east as seen from italic=no. From left to right: (italic=no), italic=no, Lunga, Fladda, italic=no, italic=no.

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See also

• List of islands of Scotland

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Notes

• Mac an Tailleir, Iain (2003) " Ainmean-àite le buidheachas/Placenames". Scottish Parliament/ Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. (pdf) Retrieved 12 May 2012.
• Treshnish Isles Management Plan 2001-11 (2001) The Hebridean Trust.

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External links

• Treshnish Isles - National Trust for Scotland

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