Editing Soay, Inner Hebrides (section)

==History==
[[Image:Soaybaskingsharkfisheries.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Former HQ of The Island of Soay Shark Fisheries Ltd, started – and finished – by [[Gavin Maxwell]]]]
The name derives from [[Old Norse]] ''Sauða-ey'' meaning ''Sheep Island''. Camas nan Gall (G: ''Bay of Foreigners'') is probably named after the [[Viking|Norse invaders]], after whom the Hebrides (''Na h-Innse Gall'') are also named.

The population peaked at 158 in 1851, following eviction of crofters from Skye in the [[Highland Clearances]].<ref>{{cite book| author=Perrott, David| title=Guide to the Western Islands of Scotland| year=1988| publisher=Kittiwake| location=Edinburgh| isbn=0-7028-0886-5}}</ref>

In 1946, author [[Gavin Maxwell]] bought the island and established a factory to process [[shark oil]] from [[basking shark]]s. The enterprise was unsuccessful, lasting just three years.<ref>{{cite web| title=Soay Overview| publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland| url=http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1639.html | access-date=2007-07-22}}</ref> Maxwell wrote about it in his book ''Harpoon at a Venture''.<ref>{{cite book | isbn=1-899863-28-1 | title=Harpoon at a Venture | last1=Maxwell | first1=Gavin | date=1998 | publisher=House of Lochar }}</ref> After the failure of the business the island was sold on to Maxwell's business partner's wife (Jeanne Geddes), [[Tex Geddes]]. The island had the first solar-powered telephone exchange in the world.{{sfn|Haswell-Smith|2004|p=151}}

Previously mainly [[Scottish Gaelic]]-speaking, most of the population was evacuated, at their request, to [[Isle of Mull|Mull]] on 20 June 1953 due to the poor ferry schedule in the winter when it was frequently cancelled due to bad weather {{why|date=June 2017}}, since then the island has been sparsely populated.{{sfn|Haswell-Smith|2004|p=150}}  In 2001 the population was 7.<ref>{{GRO10}}</ref> By 2003 this had dwindled to 2{{sfn|Haswell-Smith|2004|p=149}} and the usually resident population in 2011 were three people.<ref name=NRS/>