Horse Isle

For other places with the same name, see Horse Island (disambiguation).

Horse Isle (Gaelic - Eilean nam Eich) is an uninhabited island located in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland near the seaside town of Ardrossan. It is a nature reserve, run by the RSPB.

Contents

Geography

The small, rocky island lies at NS211427, around 1 km west of the North Ayrshire town of Ardrossan. Although no higher than 13 feet (4 m), it provides some shelter to Ardrossan harbour. The Arran ferry passes close to the island.

Two smaller islands, North Islet and East Islet, skirt the east coast of Horse Isle and a number of other rocks litter the sound between the island and the mainland. The 1788 survey of the Montgomery or Eglinton Estates by John Ainslie was completed in 1791 and records the name 'Robinson's Rock' off the East Islet and 'Witherow's Rock' off the West side of the main island.[1]

History

An old and derelict tower at the south end of Horse Isle was presumably once used as a lighthouse. It is indicated only by the word "landmark" on the Ordnance Survey map.

A number of ships have been wrecked on the island including:

Wildlife

Today, Horse Isle is a nature reserve, run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).[3] It is designated as an Area of Special Protection (AoSP).[4] for breeding seabirds and waterfowl and winter grounds. AoSPs are created under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with the aim of preventing disturbance or destruction of birds. They replaced Bird Sanctuary Orders (Protection of Birds Act 1967).

Horse Island is important for species including herring and lesser black backed gulls, and eider.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ National Archives of Scotland. RHP35796/1-5
  2. ^ a b "Overview of Horse Isle". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst12005.html. Retrieved 22 December 2008. 
  3. ^ "Horse Island Reserve". RSPB. http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/h/horseisland/index.asp. Retrieved 23 December 2008. 
  4. ^ "Conference on the Ecology and Management of the Firth of Clyde - Papers" (PDF). Firth of Clyde Forum. 2001. http://www.clydeforum.org/reports/focconf.pdf. Retrieved 2006-10-27. 

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