East Linga

East Linga
Location
East Linga
East Linga shown within Scotland
OS grid reference HU615623
Names
Gaelic name Unknown
Norse name Possibly Lingey
Meaning of name "east heather island"
Area and summit
Area 30 hectares (0.12 sq mi)
Highest elevation 27 metres (89 ft)
Population
Population nil
Groupings
Island group Shetland
Local Authority Shetland
References [1]
If shown, area and population ranks are for all Scottish islands and all inhabited Scottish islands respectively. Population data is from 2001 census.

East Linga is one of the Shetland Islands. It lies between Whalsay (to the west), and Grif Skerry to the east.

Geography and geology

The bed rock is gneiss with granite veins.

There are many skerries and rocks in the channel south of Whalsay and East Linga, some of which have disputed names, i.e. one local version, and a different one on Admiralty Charts and/or Ordnance Survey maps. For example, "Muckla Billan" is listed on the latter, but is known locally as "Peerie Fladdacap".[1][2]

In December 2008 the corpses of eighteen grey seals were discovered on the island, some of them apparently clubbed to death. Police have charged a forty-seven year old man in connection with the discovery. According to Scottish Natural Heritage, about thirty grey seals are born on East Linga each year.[3]

The smaller Calf of Linga lies to the north and is connected to East Linga at low tide.[1] West Linga lies on the other side of Whalsay.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Get-a-map" Ordnance Survey
  2. ^ Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. pp. 455. ISBN 1841954543. 
  3. ^ "Man charged with seal slaughter " Shetland Marine News. Retrieved 14 December 2008.