Stroma, Scotland
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Stroma is an island on the northern coast of the Scottish mainland. It is the southernmost of the two islands situated in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness. As such it is part of Caithness, while its neighbour Swona, to the north, is part of the Orkney Islands. The name originated from the Norse straum-øy meaning "island in the stream" or "current". The uninhabited island is owned by a Caithness farmer who uses it for the grazing of sheep. Stroma is about 3.5 kilometres long by 1.5 kilometres wide with a maximum elevation of 53 metres.
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[edit] Settlement
In the past Stroma had a population of about 550, which by 1901 had reduced to around 375. The population continued to decline through the twentieth century with the majority of the last residents departing in the early 1960's to seek employment on the construction of the Dounreay power station. The last two families left around 1962. Coincidentally, this was shortly after the construction of a new harbour at the south end of the island.
The number of ruined houses show how well populated the island was at one time. In the centre of the island is a church, distinguished by its bell tower. Situated next to the church is the Manse which is kept habitable for use by those visiting the island to care for the sheep, particularly at lambing time. At the south east corner, not far from the new harbour, is a walled graveyard with mausoleum, which is the tomb of the Kennedy family that owned the island in the 1600s. Having been uninhabited for so long, Stroma is now a conservation area with an area fenced off from the sheep to protect the rare plants which grow there.
The original slipway at the north eastern part of the island is still in use with the boat used to transport the sheep pulled out of the water for the winter. During the summer months this boat and another one are used to take day visitors to the island from Gills Bay as well as those working with the sheep.
[edit] Dangerous currents
As it is situated in the tidal stream in the Pentland Firth, a tidal race is present at both the North and South ends of the island, easing briefly at the turn of the tide. The race at the north end, known as 'The Swilkie' off Swilkie Point, can be particularly violent. The whirlpool of the same name was, according to a Viking legend, caused by a sea-king called Mysing turning the mill wheels which ground the salt to keep the seas salty. Between the races is a calm eddy which extends down tide as the tide strengthens. The races are easily visible with over falls and whirlpools. Large swell waves can also be present, especially in bad weather. When entering or leaving the eddies, even large and powerful vessels can be pushed off course.
There are about sixty known shipwrecks around Stroma, the latest of which, the Danish coaster Bettina Danica occurred in January 1993. Fortunately no lives were lost and the vessel remained intact until about 1997. As of 2006, only the stern section can be seen on its side at the foot of the cliffs on the west side of the island near its southern tip.
In 2004, a group of 13 on an Island tour boat was rescued by lifeboat. [1]
[edit] Lighthouse
The dangers of the whirlpool lead to the building of the Stroma Lighthouse at the northern tip of the island at the end of the nineteenth century.
Light Established 1896
Engineer David A & Charles Stevenson
Position Latitude 58° 41.8’N Longitude 03° 07.0’W
Character Flashing (2) White every 20 secs
Elevation 32 metres
Nominal Range 26 miles
Structure White tower 23 metres high. There are 80 steps to top of tower
Fog Horn 2 blasts every 60 seconds
History
Off the Northern-most point of Stroma, is the Swilkie, the most dangerous whirlpool in the Pentland Firth, occasioned by the meeting of four or five contrary tides. According to Icelandic legend, the Swilkie is the place where the salt which maintains the saltiness of the oceans is ground in a giant quern, stolen from King Frodi by a sea-king named Mysing. When Mysing's long ship sank off Stroma under the weight of it, he still continued to grind away with it 15 fathoms down and to this day the sea can still be heard roaring through it. In 1896, Stroma was established as a major light. It was a Trotter-Lindberg light which used petroleum spirit or lythene, contained in cisterns placed outside the lantern, which had to be recharged at least once a fortnight and it was regularly observed and visited by a local crofter or fisherman appointed for the purpose. Stroma was soon found to be an unsuitable location for a minor light and a paraffin lamp was substituted for the former lythene lamp - enabling the small tower which carried the lantern also to serve as an oil store instead of requiring a separate building. On 22 February 1941, the lighthouse buildings were machine-gunned by an enemy plane. No-one was injured, and what little damage that had been done was repaired by the lightkeepers. In 1972, Stroma was converted to electric operation, using a sealed beam optic mounted on a gearless revolving pedestal; At the same time, a helicopter landing pad was built near the station, and the relief or changeover of Keepers was effected by helicopter. Work commenced in April 1994 to convert the station to automatic operation, this was complete in March 1997. The former sealed beam lamp array optic was removed and replaced by the ex Sule Skerry 4th Order lens system. This rotates using a gearless pedestal and the light source is a 250 watt metal Halide lamp. The air driven fog signal has been removed and replaced by an electric emitter type located on the lighthouse balcony. When manned, power for the station was obtained from constant running generators. In the automatic mode, power is provided from batteries 'cycle' charged at regular intervals.
[edit] Transport
Being uninhabited, there is no regular access to the island. However the ferry from Gills Bay to St Margaret's Hope, near John o' Groats, usually passes close to the island. A boat from John o' Groats also visits the island on wildlife adventure tours during the summer months. There exist outline plans to connect Orkney to the Scottish mainland by tunnel; two of the possible routes are across Stroma. [2]. Transport to the island can be arranged by contacting the owner - James Simpson.
[edit] External links
