Swona

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Swona, viewed from South Ronaldsay.

The island of Swona, takes its name from Old Norse, Svíney or Swefney , meaning "Swine Isle" or "Sweyn’s Isle" (Sweyn Asleifsson).^[1] It is the northern of the two islands situated in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness on the Scottish mainland. It is administered as part of the Orkney Islands while its neighbour, Stroma, to the south, is administered as part of Caithness. In 2005 Swona is owned by two Orkney farmers. It is not worked, as it is difficult to get to and is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) conservation area with a number of rare plants.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Wildlife
4 External links
5 References

[edit] History

The island was populated from around 500BC until 1974. In summer 1973 Arthur Rosie left the island and died shortly afterwards. James and Violet Rosie (brother and sister) left in March 1974. James had Parkinsons Disease and died C1976 of a perforated stomach ulcer. Violet died C1984 in South Ronaldsay. They did not return to the island after they left it. Many of the houses, while in a state of dilapidation, are as they were left, with various possessions still to be seen where they were abandoned.

Boats were built on the island for a number of years, the last of which, the Hood, can be seen pulled well up the shingle beach by the landing stage. It is of course no longer seaworthy, having a hole in it caused by the feral cows using it as a rubbing post. The landing stage and boat can be seen briefly in passing through a gap in the rocks near the north end of the island on the east side. The last house to be occupied can also be seen in this area.

The island was the site of many shipwrecks caused by the strong currents in the Pentland Firth. In 1931, a 6,000 ton Danish freighter called Pennsylvania was wrecked on the island. The Orkney newspaper of the time said that it was one of the most richly-laden ships that was ever wrecked in the area. After some plundering, the wreck was finally bought by a syndicate of Stroma and Swona men.

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in Records of a Family of Engineers of his father Thomas Stevenson's experience seeing the islanders as wreckers. He was aboard a ship which was close to being wrecked on the island watched as the islanders callously awaited the harvest of the sea. Fortunately for Stevenson, the wind picked up and they made their escape.

Stroma Lighthouse was built in 1896 and stands at the northern end of Stroma island.

The Swona Minor light was built in 1906 on the south west tip of Swona. It was originally a cast iron tower but was replaced by a reinforced concrete square tower sometime in the 1980's

[edit] Geography

The island is about one and a quarter miles long by about half a mile wide, with a maximum height of approximately 127 feet.

Being situated in the tidal stream in the Pentland Firth, a tidal race is present at both the north and south ends of the island, being minimal briefly at the turn of the tide. Between the races is a calm eddy which extends down-tide as the tide strengthens. The races are highly visible, with over-falls and whirlpools. Large swell waves can also be present, especially in bad weather conditions. When entering or leaving the eddies crossing the races, even large powerful vessels can be pushed off course, such is the demarcation between the relatively calm eddy and the fast-moving tide in the races.

Because it is uninhabited, there is no regular access to the island; however, the ferry from Gills Bay, near John o' Groats, to St Margaret's Hope usually passes close to the island. Which side of the island it passes on is dependent on the tidal direction at the time.

[edit] Wildlife

When the population departed they left a herd of beef cattle - 8 cows and 1 bull (cross Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus). In 2004, some five generations later, the herd which had turned feral was still going strong, and is now classified as a new breed. It then consisted of ten bulls, four cows, and two calves. This appears to be around the maximum number that the island can support. Two calves are born each year in the spring, although not all live to maturity. The herd gets no additional feed, although it is checked by a vet each year. The animals are self-selecting for hardiness, easy calving, and low-maintenance feeding off the grass and seaweed. Having been separated from the mainland for so long, they are completely disease-free, and have reverted to wild behaviour. Because of this, DNA samples have been taken, from the ears of some of the cattle that died. The main herd is usually in the centre of the island in the summer.