Editing Islands of the Clyde

{{Short description|Scottish island group}}
[[File:Islands of the Clyde.png|thumb|The islands within the [[Firth of Clyde]]]]
[[File:Holy Isle from North.JPG|thumb| [[Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde|Holy Isle]] seen from [[Isle of Bute|Bute]]]]
[[File:PS Waverley off Brodick castle 1989.jpg|thumb|The [[PS Waverley|PS ''Waverley'']] lying in Brodick Bay in front of [[Brodick Castle]]. Paddle steamers like this were formerly extremely common on the Clyde.<ref>[http://www.clydewaterfrontheritage.com/waverley_2.aspx "Waverley"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708170617/http://www.clydewaterfrontheritage.com/waverley_2.aspx |date=8 July 2011 }}. Clyde Waterfront Heritage. Retrieved 5 September 2010.</ref>]]

The '''Islands of the Firth of Clyde''' are the fifth largest of the major [[Scotland|Scottish]] island groups after the [[Inner Hebrides|Inner]] and [[Outer Hebrides]], [[List of Orkney islands|Orkney]] and [[List of Shetland islands|Shetland]]. They are situated in the [[Firth of Clyde]] between [[Argyll and Bute]] in the west and [[Inverclyde]], [[North Ayrshire]] and [[South Ayrshire]] in the east. There are about forty islands and [[skerry|skerries]]. Only four are inhabited, and only nine are larger than {{convert|40|ha|acre}}.{{#tag:ref|The definition of an island used is that it is land that is surrounded by seawater on a daily basis, but not necessarily at all stages of the tide, excluding human devices such as bridges and causeways. Various other definitions are used in the Scottish context. For example, the General Register Office for Scotland define an island as "a mass of land surrounded by water, separate from the Scottish mainland" but although they include islands linked by bridges etc., this is not clear from this definition.<ref>General Register Office for Scotland (2003) "Appendix".</ref> Haswell-Smith (2004) uses "an Island is a piece of land or group of pieces of land which is entirely surrounded by water at Lowest Astronomical Tide and to which there is no permanent means of dry access". This consciously excludes bridged islands, which most other sources include.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) "Preface" p. xi</ref>|group="Note"}} The largest and most populous are [[Isle of Arran|Arran]] and [[Isle of Bute|Bute]]. They are served by dedicated ferry routes, as are [[Great Cumbrae]] and [[Holy Island, Firth of Clyde|Holy Island]].<ref name=CMac1>[http://www.calmac.co.uk/destinations/ "Destinations"]. [[Caledonian MacBrayne]]. Retrieved 22 January 2011.</ref><ref name=HI>[http://www.holyisland.org/ "Getting Here"]. The Holy Isle Project. Retrieved 12 May 2012.</ref> Unlike the isles in the four larger Scottish archipelagos, none of the isles in this group are connected to one another or to the mainland by bridges.

The [[geology]] and [[geomorphology]] of the area is complex, and the islands and the surrounding sea [[loch]]s each have distinctive features. The influence of the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]] create a mild, damp oceanic climate. There is a diversity of wildlife, including three species of rare endemic trees.

The larger islands have been continuously inhabited since [[Neolithic]] times. The cultures of their inhabitants  were influenced by the emergence of the kingdom of [[Dál Riata]], beginning in 500 AD. The islands were then politically absorbed into the emerging [[Origins of the Kingdom of Alba|kingdom of Alba]], led by [[Kenneth MacAlpin]]. During the [[early Middle Ages]], the islands experienced [[Viking]] incursions. In the 13th century, they became part of the [[Kingdom of Scotland]].

== Geology and geography ==
[[File:Firthofclydemap.png|thumb|The [[Firth of Clyde]]]]

The [[Highland Boundary Fault]] runs past Bute and through the northern part of Arran. Therefore, from a geological perspective, some of the islands are in the Highlands and some in the [[Central Lowlands]].<ref>Gillen (2003) p. 28</ref> As a result of Arran's geological similarity to Scotland, it is sometimes referred to as "Scotland in miniature" and the island is a popular destination for [[geologist]]s. They come to Arran to study its [[igneous rock|intrusive igneous landforms]], such as [[Sill (geology)|sill]]s and [[Dike (geology)|dyke]]s, as well as its [[sedimentary]] and metasedimentary rocks, which  range widely in age.<ref name= McK300>McKirdy ''et al.'' (2007) pp. 297- 301</ref> Visiting in 1787, the geologist [[James Hutton]] found his first example of an [[Hutton's Unconformity|unconformity]] there. The spot where he discovered it is one of the most famous places in the history of the study of geology.<ref name=monty>{{cite web|url=http://nagt.org/files/nagt/jge/abstracts/Montgomery_v51n5.pdf |title=Siccar Point and Teaching the History of Geology |access-date=26 March 2008 |last=Montgomery |first=Keith |year=2003 |publisher=University of Wisconsin }}</ref><ref name=Waymarking>{{cite web|url=http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3F65 |title=Hutton's Unconformity - Lochranza, Isle of Arran, UK - Places of Geologic Significance on Waymarking.com |publisher=Waymarking.com| access-date=20 October 2008}}</ref> The group of weakly metamorphosed rocks that form the [[Highland Boundary Fault#Highland Border Complex|Highland Border Complex]] lie discontinuously along the Highland Boundary Fault. One of the most prominent exposures is along Loch Fad on Bute.<ref>Gillen (2003) pp. 89–90</ref> [[Ailsa Craig]], which lies some {{convert|25|km|mi}} south of Arran, has been quarried for a rare type of [[granite|micro-granite]] containing [[riebeckite]], known as "Ailsite". It is used by [[Kays of Scotland]] to make [[curling]] stones. (As of 2004, 60 to 70% of all curling stones in use globally were made from granite quarried on the island.)<ref>Roch, John (27 October 2004) [https://web.archive.org/web/20041102011535/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_curling_stones.html "Puffins Return to Scottish Island Famous for Curling Stones"]. National Geographic News. Retrieved 29 August 2010</ref>

Like the rest of Scotland, the Firth of Clyde was covered by ice sheets during the [[Pleistocene]] [[ice ages]], and the landscape has been much affected by [[glaciation]].<ref>Gillen (2003) pp. 174–86</ref> Back then, Arran's highest peaks may have been [[nunatak]]s.<ref>McKirdy ''et al.'' (2007) pp. 297- 301.</ref> Sea-level changes and the [[isostasy|isostatic]] rise of land after the last retreat of the ice created clifflines behind [[raised beach]]es, which are a prominent feature of the entire coastline. The action of these forces has made charting the [[Quaternary glaciation|post glacial]] coastlines a complex task.<ref>McKirdy ''et al.'' (2007) p. 28.</ref><ref>Ritchie, W. [https://archive.today/20120910123631/http://www.snh.org.uk/pubs/detail.asp?id=1291 "Beaches of Cowal, Bute & Arran"] (1975) Scottish Natural Heritage. (Originally published by the Countryside Commission for Scotland). pp. 6–9</ref>

The various soil types on the islands reflect their diverse geology. Bute has the most productive land, and it has a pattern of deposits that is typical of the southwest of Scotland. In the eroded valleys, there is a mixture of [[boulder clay]] and other glacial deposits. Elsewhere, especially to the south and west, there are raised beach- and marine deposits, which in some places, such as Stravanan, result in a [[machair]] landscape inland from the sandy bays.<ref>[http://www.bute-gateway.org/background.html "Bute's Geology & Geomorphology"] Bute-gateway.org. Retrieved 20 January 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.scapetrust.org/pdf/Clyde_Bute/Bute_map6.pdf "Bute Map 6: Garroch Head to Stravannan Bay"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728002227/http://www.scapetrust.org/pdf/Clyde_Bute/Bute_map6.pdf |date=28 July 2011 }} (pdf) scapetrust.org. Retrieved 20 January 2011.</ref>

The Firth of Clyde, in which these islands lie, is north of the Irish Sea and has numerous branching inlets. Some of those inlets, including [[Loch Goil]], [[Loch Long]], [[Gare Loch]], [[Loch Fyne]], and the estuary of the [[River Clyde]], have their own substantial features. In places, the effect of glaciation on the seabed is pronounced. For example, the Firth is {{convert|320|m|ft}} deep between Arran and Bute, even though they are only {{convert|8|km|mi}} apart.<ref>Gillen (2003) p. 177</ref> The islands all stand exposed to wind and tide. Various [[lighthouse]]s, such as those on Ailsa Craig, [[Pladda]], and [[Davaar Island|Davaar]], act as an aid to navigation.<ref>[http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Main/ "Lighthouse Library"] Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 14 July 2007.</ref>

== Climate ==
[[File:Castleisland.jpg|thumb|[[Castle Island, Scotland|Castle Island]] from [[Little Cumbrae]]]]

The Firth of Clyde lies between 55 and 56 degrees north latitude. This is the same latitude as [[Labrador]] in Canada and north of the [[Aleutian Islands]]. However, the influence of the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]]—the northern extension of the [[Gulf Stream]]—moderates the winter weather. As a result, the area enjoys a mild, damp oceanic climate. Temperatures are generally cool, averaging about {{convert|6|°C|°F|abbr=on|lk=on}} in January and {{convert|14|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in July at sea level.<ref name=met>[http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html "Regional mapped climate averages"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804165705/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html |date=4 August 2012 }} Met Office. Retrieved 4 September 2009.</ref> Snow seldom lies at sea level, and frosts are generally less frequent than they are on the mainland. In common with most islands off the west coast of Scotland, the average annual rainfall is generally high: between {{convert|1300|mm|in|abbr=on}} on Bute, in the Cumbraes, and in the south of Arran, and {{convert|1900|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the north of Arran. The Arran mountains are even wetter: Their summits receive over {{convert|2550|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain annually. May, June and July are the sunniest months:  on average, there is a total of 200 hours of bright sunshine during that 3-month period each year. Southern Bute benefits from a particularly large number of sunny days.<ref name=met/>

== History ==

=== Prehistory ===
[[File:MachrieMoorStones.jpg|thumb|Machrie Moor [[standing stone]]s, [[Isle of Arran|Arran]]]]

[[Mesolithic]] humans arrived in the area of the Firth of Clyde during the 4th millennium BC, probably from [[Ireland]]. This initial arrival was followed by another wave of [[Neolithic]] peoples using the same route. In fact, there is some evidence that the Firth of Clyde was a significant route through which mainland Scotland was colonised during the Neolithic period.<ref>Noble (2006) p. 30</ref> The inhabitants of Argyll, the Clyde estuary, and elsewhere in western Scotland at that time developed a distinctive style of megalithic structure that is known today as the [[Chambered cairn#Clyde-Carlingford court cairns|Clyde cairn]]s. About 100 of these structures have been found. They were used for interment of the dead. They are rectangular or trapezoidal, with a small enclosing chamber into which the person's body was placed. They are faced with large slabs of stone set on end (sometimes subdivided into smaller compartments). They also feature a forecourt area, which may have been used for displays or rituals associated with interment.<ref name=N104>Noble (2006) pp. 104–05</ref> They are mostly found in Arran, Bute, and Kintyre. It is thought likely that the Clyde cairns were the earliest forms of Neolithic monument constructed by incoming settlers. However, only a few of the cairns have been [[radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dated]]. A cairn at Monamore on Arran has been dated to 3160 BC, although other evidence suggests that it was almost certainly built earlier than that, possibly around 4000 BC.<ref name=N104/><ref name= Murr113>Murray (1973) pp. 113–131</ref><ref>Morris, John H. [http://www.scottish.antiquities.ukonline.co.uk/ "Sailing through Scottish Antiquities"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060411094805/http://www.scottish.antiquities.ukonline.co.uk/ |date=11 April 2006 }} scottish.antiquities.ukonline.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=40086 "Arran, Monamore, Meallach's Grave"] Scotland's Places.Retrieved 4 February 2011.</ref> The area also features numerous [[standing stone]]s dating from prehistoric times, including six [[stone circle]]s on Machrie Moor in Arran, and other examples on Great Cumbrae and Bute.<ref>[http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=40618 "Great Cumbrae Island, Craigengour"] Scotland's Places.Retrieved 4 February 2011.</ref><ref name=Cow27>Cowie, Trevor "The Bronze Age" in Omand (2006) pp. 27–30</ref>

Later, [[Bronze Age]] settlers also constructed megaliths at various sites. Many of them date from the 2nd millennium BC. However, instead of [[chambered cairns]], these peoples constructed burial [[cist]]s, which can be found, for example, on Inchmarnock. Evidence of settlement during this period, especially the early part of it, is scant.<ref name=Cow27/><ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 22</ref> However, one notable artifact has been found on Bute that dates from around 2000 BC. Known today as the “Queen of the Inch necklace,” it is an article of jewellery made of [[Jet (lignite)|lignite]] (commonly called “jet”).

During the early [[Iron Age]], the [[Brython]]ic culture held sway. There is no evidence that the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] occupation of southern Scotland extended into these islands.<ref name= Murr113/><ref>[http://www.butemuseum.org/ "The Queen of the Inch Necklace and Facial reconstruction"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619111013/http://www.butemuseum.org/ |date=19 June 2010 }}. Bute Museum. Retrieved 5 September 2010.</ref>

=== Early Scots rule ===
[[File:Dalriada.jpg|thumb|Map of [[Dál Riata]] at its height, c. 580–600. [[Picts|Pictish]] regions are marked in yellow]]

Beginning in the 2nd century AD, Irish influence was at work in the region, and by the 6th century, [[Gaels]] had established the kingdom of [[Dál Riata]] there. Unlike earlier inhabitants, such as the [[P-Celtic]] speaking Brythons,  these Gaels spoke a form of [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] (a modern version of which is still spoken today in the [[Hebrides]]). During this period, through the efforts of [[Saint Ninian]] and others, Christianity slowly supplanted [[Druid]]ism. The kingdom of Dál Riata flourished from the rule of [[Fergus Mór]] in the late 5th century until the [[Viking]] incursions beginning in the late 8th century.<ref>Murray (1973) pp. 147–155</ref> Islands close to the shores of modern [[Ayrshire]] presumably remained part of the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]] during this period, whilst the main islands became part of the emerging [[Kingdom of Alba]] founded by Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpín).

=== Viking influence ===
[[File:RothesayCastleS.jpg|thumb|left|The 13th century curtain wall of [[Rothesay Castle]], [[Isle of Bute|Bute]]]]
{{main|Kingdom of the Isles}}

Beginning in the 9th century and into the 13th century, the Islands of the Clyde constituted a border zone between the Norse ''[[Kingdom of the Isles|Suðreyjar]]'' and Scotland, and many of them were under Norse hegemony.

Beginning in the last half of the 12th century, and then into the early 1200s, the islands may well have served as the power base of [[Somhairle mac Giolla Brighde]] and [[Clann Somhairle|his descendants]]. During this time, the islands seem to have come under the sway of the [[Steward of Scotland]]’s authority and to have been taken over by the expanding [[Clan Stewart|Stewart]] lordship.<ref>Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) pp. 241–248.</ref>

This western extension of Scottish authority appears to have been one of the factors motivating the Norwegian invasion of the region in 1230, during which the invaders seized [[Rothesay Castle]].<ref>Forte; Oram; Pedersen (2005) pp. 248–253.</ref>

In 1263, Norwegian troops commanded by [[Haakon IV of Norway|Haakon Haakonarson]] repeated the feat, but the ensuing [[Battle of Largs]] between Scots and Norwegian forces, which took place on the shores of the Firth of Clyde, was inconclusive as a military contest.<ref>Coventry (2008) p. 545</ref><ref>Keay (1994) p. 597</ref>

This battle marked an ultimately fatal weakening of Norwegian power in Scotland. Haakon retreated to [[Orkney]], where he died in December 1263, consoled on his death bed by recitations of the old sagas. Following his death, under the 1266 [[Treaty of Perth]], all rights that the Norwegian Crown "had of old therein" in relation to the islands were yielded to the Kingdom of Scotland.<ref>Hunter (2000) pp. 106–111</ref><ref>Barrett (2008) p. 411</ref><ref>[http://www.isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/manxsoc/msvol04/v3p210.htm "Agreement between Magnus IV and Alexander III, 1266"] isleofman.com. Manx Society vols IV, VII & IX. Retrieved 11 January 2011.</ref>

=== Modern Scotland ===
[[File:J M Briscoe - Clyde puffer VIC32 moored at Corpach.jpg|thumb|Steam Lighter VIC32, the last seagoing coal fired steam ''[[Clyde Puffer]]'']]

Politically, from the conclusion of the [[Treaty of Perth]] in 1266 to the present day, all of the islands of the Clyde have been part of Scotland.

Ecclesiastically, beginning in the early medieval period all of these isles were part of the [[Bishop of Sodor and Man|Diocese of Sodor and Man]], based at [[Peel, Isle of Man|Peel]], on the [[Isle of Man]]. After 1387, the seat of the [[Diocese of the Isles|Bishopric of the Isles]] was relocated to the north, first to [[Snizort]] on [[Skye]] and then to [[Iona]].<ref>Bridgland, Nick "The Medieval Church in Argyll" in Omand (2006) pp. 86–87</ref> This arrangement continued until the [[Scottish Reformation]] in the 16th century, when Scotland broke with the Catholic Church.

The mid-1700s marked the beginning of a century of significant change. New forms of transport, industry, and agriculture brought an end to ways of life that had endured for centuries. The [[Battle of Culloden]] in 1746 foreshadowed the end of the [[Scottish clan|clan]] system. These changes improved living standards for some, but came at a cost for others.<ref>Duncan, P. J. "The Industries of Argyll: Tradition and Improvement" in Omand (2006) pp. 151, 156</ref>

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, [[Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton|Alexander, the 10th Duke of Hamilton]] (1767–1852), and others implemented a controversial agricultural-reform programme called the [[Highland Clearances]] that had a devastating effect on many of Arran's inhabitants. Whole villages were emptied, and the Gaelic culture of the island was dealt a terminal blow. (A memorial to the tenant farmers evicted from the island by this programme was later erected on the shore at [[Lamlash]], funded by a Canadian descendant of some of those evicted.)<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 12</ref><ref>Mackillop, Dugald [http://www.electricscotland.com/history/clearances/37.htm "The History of the Highland Clearances: Buteshire – Arran"] electricscotland.com. Retrieved 18 July 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3FAD "Lagantuine – Isle of Arran, Ayrshire UK"] waymarking.com. Retrieved 18 July 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.ayrshireroots.com/Towns/Arran/Lamlash/Lamlash.htm "Lamlash"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930094637/http://www.ayrshireroots.com/Towns/Arran/Lamlash/Lamlash.htm |date=30 September 2011 }} Ayrshireroots.com. Retrieved 20 January 2011.</ref>

From the 1850s to the late 20th century, cargo ships known as “[[Clyde Puffer]]s” (made famous by an early-20th-century story collection called the ''[[Vital Spark]]''), were the workhorses of the islands, carrying a great deal of produce and a great variety of products to and from the islands. In May 1889, the [[Caledonian Steam Packet Company]] (CSP) was founded and began operating steamer services to and from Gourock for the [[Caledonian Railway]]. The company soon expanded by taking over rival steamer operators.<ref name="scran">{{cite web| url=http://www.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-592-411-C| title=Caledonian Steam Packet Company| publisher=Scran – part of the [[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland]]| access-date=30 January 2011}}</ref> [[David MacBrayne]] operated the Glasgow-to-[[Ardrishaig]] steamer service, as part of the so-called "Royal Route" to Oban.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://paddlesteamers.awardspace.com/Columba.htm| title=PS Columba| publisher=Paddle Steamer Resources by Tramscape| access-date=30 January 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707212225/http://paddlesteamers.awardspace.com/Columba.htm| archive-date=7 July 2011| df=dmy-all}}</ref> During the 20th century, many of the islands were developed as tourist resorts along the lines of mainland resorts such as [[Largs]] and [[Troon]], but catering for Glaswegians who preferred to holiday "Doon the Watter".<ref>Keay (1994) p. 236</ref><ref>[http://www.inveraraypier.com/puffer.html "The Puffer"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722063748/http://www.inveraraypier.com/puffer.html |date=22 July 2012 }}. Inveraray Maritime Heritage Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2010.</ref>
In 1973, CSP and MacBraynes combined their Clyde and West Highland operations under the new name of [[Caledonian MacBrayne]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.whsc.connectfree.co.uk/CalMac.html| title=History of Caledonian MacBrayne| publisher=West Highland Steamer Club| access-date=30 January 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130145757/http://www.whsc.connectfree.co.uk/CalMac.html| archive-date=30 January 2010| df=dmy-all}}</ref> A [[government-owned corporation]], they serve Great Cumbrae, Arran, and Bute, and also run mainland-to-mainland ferries across the firth.<ref name=CMac1/><ref>[http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/calmac-summer-timetables.htm "Summer Timetables"]. [[Caledonian MacBrayne]]. Retrieved 5 February 2011.</ref> Private companies operate services from Arran to Holy Isle,<ref name=HI/> and from McInroy's Point (Gourock) to Hunter's Quay on the Cowal peninsula.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.western-ferries.co.uk/| title=Western Ferries| access-date=6 February 2001}}</ref>

Politically, from 1890 to 1975, most of the islands comprised the traditional [[County of Bute]], and its inhabitants were represented by the county council. Since the 1975 reorganization, however, the islands have been split more or less equally between two modern council authorities: [[Argyll and Bute]], and [[North Ayrshire]]. Only [[Ailsa Craig]] and [[Lady Isle]] in [[South Ayrshire]] are not part of either of these two [[Subdivisions of Scotland|council areas]].

== Islands ==

Below is a table listing the nine islands of the Firth of Clyde that have an area greater than 40&nbsp;hectares (approximately 100&nbsp;acres), showing their population and listing the smaller uninhabited islets adjacent to them (including tidal islets separated only when the tide is higher, and [[skerry|skerries]] exposed only when the tide is lower).

As of 2001, six of the islands were inhabited, but that included one with only two residents ([[Davaar Island|Davaar]]), and one with only one resident ([[Sanda Island|Sanda]]).<ref name= GRO>{{GRO10}}.</ref> At the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]], there was no one usually resident on either of these islands.<ref name= NRS>{{NRS1C}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Island
! [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic Name]]<ref name="MaT" />
! Location
! Area ([[hectare|ha]])<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) unless otherwise indicated.</ref>
! Population<ref name= NRS/>
! Last inhabited
! Highest point<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) and Ordnance Survey maps.</ref>
! Height (m){{#tag:ref|Note that the Ordnance Survey maps mark the height above sea level of a high point on most islands, but in a small number of cases, this may not be the highest point.<ref name=OS>Ordnance Survey maps.</ref>|group="Note"}}
! Surrounding islets<ref name=OS/>
|-
| [[Ailsa Craig]]
| ''Creag Ealasaid''
| [[South Ayrshire]]
| 99
| 0
| 1990<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/19150852.ailsa-craig-10-facts-didnt-know-island/#:~:text=Here%20are%2010%20facts%20you%20might%20not%20have%20known%20about%20Ailsa%20Craig.&text=The%20island%20stands%20at%20over,is%20around%20338%20metres%20tall.&text=The%20island%20has%20been%20uninhabited%20since%20automation%20in%201990. | title=10 things you probably didn't know about Ailsa Craig | date=13 March 2021 }}</ref>
| The Cairn
| 338
| None
|-
| [[Isle of Arran|Arran]]
| ''Arainn''
| Arran
| 43201
| 4629
| –
| [[Goat Fell]]
| 874
| Eilean na h-Àirde Bàine, Hamilton Isle, [[Pladda]]
|-
| [[Isle of Bute|Bute]]
| ''Bòid''
| Bute
| 12217
| 6498
| –
| Windy Hill
| 278
| [[Burnt Islands|The Burnt Islands]]: Eilean Mòr, Eilean Fraoich and Eilean Buidhe, [[Eilean Dearg, Loch Riddon|Eilean Dearg]], [[Eilean Dubh, Kyles of Bute|Eilean Dubh]], [[Sgat Mòr and Sgat Beag|Sgat Beag and Sgat Mòr]]
|-
| [[Davaar Island|Davaar]]
| ''Eilean Dà Bhàrr''
| Kintyre
| 52<ref name= GRO/>
| 0
|–
|
| 115
| None
|-
| [[Great Cumbrae]]
| ''Cumaradh Mòr''
| Bute
| 1168
| 1376
| –
| The Glaidstane
| 127
| The Clach, [[The Eileans]], The Leug, The Spoig
|-
| [[Holy Island, Firth of Clyde|Holy Island]]
| ''Eilean Mo Laise''
| Arran
| 253
|31
| –
| Mullach Mòr
| 314
| None
|-
| [[Inchmarnock]]
| ''Innis Mheàrnaig''
| Bute
| 253
| 0
| 1980s<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 21</ref>
|
| 60
| None
|-
| [[Little Cumbrae]]
| ''Cumaradh Beag''
| Bute
| 313
| 0
| 1990s<ref name="HaswellSmith">Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 18</ref>
| Lighthouse Hill
| 123
| The Broad Islands, [[Castle Island, Scotland|Castle Island]], Trail Isle
|-
| [[Sanda Island|Sanda]]
| ''Àbhainn''
| [[Kintyre]]
| 127
| 0
| –
|
| 123
| [[Glunimore Island]], Henrietta Reef, Scart Rocks, Paterson's Rock, [[Sheep Island, Argyll and Bute|Sheep Island]]
|}

=== Outlying islands ===
[[File:Lady Isle.jpg|thumb|[[Lady Isle]] with [[Ailsa Craig]] beyond]]
[[File:Kildonan 6. With the islands of Pladda and Ailsa Craig. North Ayrshire, Scotland.JPG|thumb|Three islands of the Clyde: The village of [[Kildonan, Arran|Kildonan]] on [[Isle of Arran|Arran]], [[Pladda]] and [[Ailsa Craig]]]]
[[File:Byrondarnton.jpg|thumb|The [[Byron Darnton]] tavern and holiday cottages on [[Sanda Island|Sanda]]. The inn is named after a 1946 shipwreck on the island.<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 6–7</ref>]]

The islets that lie remote from the larger islands are described separately below.<ref>All are as identified by Ordnance Survey maps.</ref>

There are two islets in Gare Loch: Green Island and Perch Rock. Gare Loch is small, but it hosts the [[Faslane Naval Base]], where the UK's [[Vanguard-class submarine|Trident nuclear submarines]] are located. At its southern end, the loch opens into the [[Firth of Clyde]] via the [[Rhu]] narrows.<ref>[http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst4013.html "Gare Loch"]. Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 29 August 2010.</ref>

There are also several islets in the [[Kilbrannan Sound]], which lies between Arran and the [[Kintyre]] peninsula. They are: An Struthlag, Cour Island, Eilean Carrach ([[Carradale]]), Eilean Carrach ([[Skipness]]), Eilean Grianain, Eilean Sunadale, Gull Isle, Island Ross and Thorn Isle.

(The Norse sagas tell a story about the Kintyre peninsula. In the late 11th century, a [[king of Norway]] ([[Magnus III of Norway|Magnus Barefoot]]) devised a plan to increase his territorial possessions. He persuaded a king of Scotland ([[Malcolm III of Scotland|Malcolm III]] or [[Edgar, King of Scotland|Edgar]]) to agree that he could take possession of an area of land on the west coast of Scotland if a ship could sail around it. Magnus then arranged for one of his [[longship]]s to be dragged across the {{convert|1.5|km|mi}}-long isthmus at the northern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, which connects Kintyre to the mainland. (The isthmus lies between [[East Loch Tarbert, Argyll|East Loch Tarbert]] and [[West Loch Tarbert, Argyll|West Loch Tarbert]]). He took command of the ship's tiller himself. Then, declaring that Kintyre had "better land than the best of the [[Hebrides]]", he claimed that dragging his ship across the isthmus had been equivalent to “sailing around” the peninsula, and thus that the peninsula counted as “land around which a ship could sail.” As a result of this maneuver, he was able to claim possession of the peninsula, which remained under Norse rule for more than a dozen years.<ref>[http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst4041.html "West Loch Tarbert"] Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 13 September 2008.</ref><ref>"Magnus's Saga", chapter 10 in Hollander (1964) pp. 676–677</ref><ref>Murray (1977) p. 100 has the date as 1093</ref><ref>[http://www.tarbert.info/tarberttext/historyt1.htm "Tarbert History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220200146/http://www.tarbert.info/tarberttext/historyt1.htm |date=20 December 2008 }} Tarbert.info. Retrieved 13 September 2008.</ref>{{#tag:ref|This tale is related in the Norse sagas, but the context is confused. They assert that the arrangement was made with King Malcolm, but in fact it was [[Edgar, King of Scotland|Edgar]] who was King of Scots at the time.<ref>Woolf, Alex "The Age of the Sea-Kings: 900–1300" in Omand (2006) p. 101</ref>|group="Note"}})

There are also several islets and skerries in Loch Fyne, which extends {{convert|65|km|mi}} inland from the [[Sound of Bute]], and is the longest of Scotland's sea lochs.<ref>[http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/scotland.html "Gateway to Scotland"] University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 29 August 2010.</ref> They are: Duncuan Island, Eilean Ardgaddan, Eilean a' Bhuic, Eilean Aoghainn, Eilean a' Chomhraig, Eilean an Dúnain, Eilean Buidhe (Ardmarnock), Eilean Buidhe ([[Portavadie]]), Eilean Fraoch, Eilean Math-ghamhna, Eilean Mór, Glas Eilean, Heather Island, Inverneil Island, Kilbride Island, and Liath Eilean.

There are several islets surrounding [[Horse Isle]] in [[North Ayrshire]]: Broad Rock, East Islet, Halftide Rock, High Rock and North Islet.

Lady Isle lies off the South Ayrshire coast near [[Troon]]. At one time it housed "ane old chapell with an excellent spring of water".<ref name="History">[http://www.ladyisle.com/ot%20page%2077.htm "History of Lady Isle"] ladyisle.com. Quoting ''Geographical Collections relating to Scotland''. Vol.1, pages 412/3. Retrieved 14 October 2007.</ref> However, in June 1821, someone set fire to the "turf and pasture". Once the pasture had burned away, gales blew much of the island's soil into the sea. This permanently destroyed the island's ability to support grazing.<ref name="Old Troon">[http://www.ladyisle.com/mt%20page%2084.htm "Memories of Old Troon"]. www.ladyisle.com. Retrieved 29 August 2010.</ref>

There are no islands in Loch Goil or Loch Long, which are [[fjord]]-like arms in the northern part of the firth.<ref name=OS/>

===Non-island areas with “island” in their name===

Here is a list of places along that shores of the Firth of Clyde that are not islands, but have names that misleadingly suggest they are islands (''eilean'' being Gaelic for "island"): Eilean na Beithe, Portavadie; Eilean Beag, [[Cove, Argyll and Bute|Cove]]; Eilean Dubh, Dalchenna, Loch Fyne; Eilean nan Gabhar, Melldalloch, [[Kyles of Bute]]; Barmore Island, just north of [[Tarbert, Kintyre|Tarbert]], Kintyre;<ref>[http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst6310.html Barmore Island] Gazetteer for Scotland Retrieved 1 December 2007.</ref> Eilean Aoidh, south of Portavadie; Eilean Leathan, Kilbrannan Sound just south of [[Torrisdale Bay, Argyll|Torrisdale Bay]]; Island Muller, Kilbrannan Sound north of [[Campbeltown]].<ref>Ordnance Survey maps unless otherwise stated.</ref>

== Natural history ==
[[File:Sorbus arranensis.JPG|thumb|The [[Sorbus arranensis|Arran whitebeam]] in flower at [[Eglinton Country Park]], [[Irvine, North Ayrshire|Irvine]]]]

Around the Firth of Clyde, there are populations of [[red deer]], [[red squirrel]], [[European badger|badger]], [[European otter|otter]], [[Vipera berus|adder]], and [[Viviparous lizard|common lizard]]. In the Firth itself, there are [[harbour porpoise]]s, [[basking shark]]s and various species of [[dolphin]].<ref name=wild>[http://www.arranwildlife.co.uk "Natural History"]. Arran Natural History Society. Retrieved 12 May 2012.</ref> Davaar is home to a population of wild [[goat]]s.<ref>[http://www.kintyrecottages.com/mull-of-kintyre.html "About Kildalloig Estate and Davaar Island"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100717000818/http://www.kintyrecottages.com/mull-of-kintyre.html |date=17 July 2010 }}. kintyrecottages.com. Retrieved 4 September 2010.</ref>

Over 200 bird species have been recorded as sighted in the area, including the [[black guillemot]], the [[common eider|eider]], the [[peregrine falcon]], and the [[golden eagle]].<ref name=wild/> In 1981, there were 28 [[rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan]]s sighted on Arran, but in 2009 it was reported that extensive surveys had been unable to find any recorded ptarmigans sightings.<ref>"Iconic Birds at Risk" (1 Feb 2009) Glasgow. ''[[Sunday Herald]]''.</ref> Similarly, the [[red-billed chough]] no longer breeds on the island.<ref>[http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/UKSPA/UKSPA-A6-102A.pdf "A6.102a Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (breeding)"] (pdf) JNCC. Retrieved 1 August 2009.</ref>

Arran has three species of the rare [[endemism|endemic]] trees known as [[Arran Whitebeams]]:<ref name=Scotsman>Johnston, Ian (15 June 2007) [http://news.scotsman.com/science/Trees-on-Arran-are-a.3295108.jp "Trees on Arran 'are a whole new species' "] Edinburgh. ''[[The Scotsman]]''. Retrieved 18 June 2007.</ref> the [[Sorbus arranensis|Scottish or Arran whitebeam]]; the [[Sorbus pseudofennica|cut-leaved whitebeam]]; and the [[Sorbus pseudomeinichii|Catacol whitebeam]]. All of them are found only in Gleann Diomhan, and they are amongst the most endangered tree species in the world. (Gleann Diomhan was formerly part of a designated [[National nature reserve (Scotland)|national nature reserve]]—the designation was removed in 2011)- and it continues to be part of an area designated as a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]].)<ref name=cite>{{cite web|url=https://apps.snh.gov.uk/sitelink-api/v1/sites/90/documents/3|title=Arran Northern Mountains SSSI: Site Management Statement|access-date=11 September 2020|publisher=[[NatureScot|Scottish Natural Heritage]]}}</ref> Only 283 Arran whitebeam and 236 cut-leaved whitebeam were recorded as mature trees in 1980,<ref name="Bignal">{{cite journal |title=The endemic whitebeams of North Arran |last=Bignal |first=Eric |year=1980 |journal=The Glasgow Naturalist |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=60–64}}</ref> and it is thought that grazing pressures and insect damage are preventing regeneration of the woodland.<ref name=cite/> The Catacol whitebeam was discovered in 2007, but only two specimens have been found, so steps have been taken to protect them.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6754975.stm "New species of tree discovered "] (14 June 2007) BBC. Retrieved 18 January 2011.</ref><ref name="SWT">''New species of tree discovered on Arran''. Scottish Wildlife. November 2007, {{ISSN|0143-1234}} p. 9</ref>

== Etymology ==
[[File:The Cumbraes.jpg|thumb|[[The Cumbraes]] with [[Isle of Arran|Arran]] and [[Isle of Bute|Bute]] beyond]]

The [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] historian [[Tacitus]] refers to the ''Clota'', meaning the Clyde. The derivation is not certain but is probably from the [[Common Brythonic|Brythonic]] ''Clouta'', which became ''Clut'' in [[Old Welsh]]. The name literally means "wash", probably referring to a river goddess who is seen as "the washer" or "the strongly flowing one".<ref>Watson (1994) pp. 44, 71</ref> The derivation of the word “Bute” is also uncertain. The Norse name for it is ''Bót'' an Old Irish word for "fire", which might be a reference to signal fires.<ref>Watson (1994) pp. 95–86</ref> The etymology of “Arran” is no clearer. Haswell-Smith (2004) suggests that it derive from a Brythonic word meaning "high place",<ref name=H11>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 11</ref> although Watson (1926) suggests it may be pre-Celtic.<ref>Watson (1994) p. 97</ref>{{#tag:ref|In support of the controversial [[Vasconic substratum theory|Vasconic substratum hypothesis]], [[Theo Vennemann]] notes the recurrence of the element ''aran'', (Unified Basque ''haran'') meaning"valley", in names like [[Val d'Aran]], [[Arundel]], or [[Arendal]].<ref>Baldi & Page (December 2006) Review of "Europa Vasconica – Europa Semitica", ''Lingua'', '''116''' Issue 12 pp. 2183–2220</ref>|group="Note"}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Island
! Derivation
! Language
! Meaning
! Modern Gaelic name<ref name=MaT>Mac an Tàilleir (2003) various pages.</ref>
! Alternative Derivations
|-
| [[Isle of Arran|Arran]]
| Possibly ''Aran''
| Brythonic
| high place<ref name="H11" />
| ''Arainn''
| Possibly pre-Celtic
|-
| [[Isle of Bute|Bute]]
| ''Bót'' (see above)
| Norse or Gaelic
| Possibly "fire isle"
| ''Eilean Bhòid'' or ''Bód''
| Possibly from Brythonic ''budh'' for "corn" and previously known as ''[[Rothesay, Argyll and Bute|Rothesay]]'' meaning "Roderick's island"<ref>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 23</ref>
|-
| [[Davaar Island|Davaar]]
| ''Eilean Dà Bhàrr''
| Gaelic
| Barr's island
| ''Eilean Dà Bhàrr''
|
|-
| [[Great Cumbrae]]
| ''Cymri''
| English/Brythonic
| place of the Brythonic people
| ''Cumaradh Mòr''
| Gaelic literally means "place of the Cymric people".<ref name="MaT"/> Previously known in English as Great or Greater Cumray.<ref name="HaswellSmith" />
|-
| [[Holy Island, Firth of Clyde|Holy Island]]
| –
| English
| Refers to [[Molaise of Leighlin]]
| ''Eilean Mo Laise''
| Previously known as "[[Lamlash]]", the English name was adopted in 1830 when the Arran village took this name. In Gaelic, the island is also known as "An t-Eilean Àrd" (the high island).
|-
| [[Sanda Island|Sanda]]
| ''Sandtange'' or ''Havin''
| Old Norse or Danish
| sandspit or anchorage<ref name=H5>Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 5</ref>
| ''Àbhainn''
| Also known as "Sanda Island"<ref name=H5/>
|}

== See also ==

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Scottish island names]]
* [[Rathlin Island]]
* [[Sleeping Warrior]]
* [[Arran Single Malt]]
* [[Mount Stuart House]]
* [[Cathedral of the Isles]]
* [[Earl of Arran (Scotland)]]
* [[Marquess of Bute]]
* [[Mull of Kintyre test]]
}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

== Footnotes ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==

{{refbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* Barrett, James H. "The Norse in Scotland" in Brink, Stefan (ed) (2008) ''The Viking World''. Abingdon. Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-33315-6}}
* Coventry, Martin (2008) ''Castles of the Clans''. Musselburgh. Goblinshead. {{ISBN|978-1-899874-36-1}}
*{{cite book |last1=Forte |first1=A |last2=Oram |first2=RD |author2-link=Richard Oram |last3=Pedersen |first3=F |year=2005 |title=Viking Empires |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |publication-place=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-82992-2 }}
* Gillen, Con (2003) ''Geology and landscapes of Scotland''. Harpenden. Terra.
* {{Haswell-Smith}}
* [[Lee M. Hollander|Hollander, Lee M]] (ed. & tr.) (1964) ''Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway.'' Austin. University of Texas Press.
* [[James Hunter (historian)|Hunter, James]] (2000) ''Last of the Free: A History of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland''. Edinburgh. Mainstream. {{ISBN|1-84018-376-4}}
* Keay, J. & Keay, J. (1994) ''[[Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland]]''. London. [[HarperCollins]]
* {{Gaelic Placenames}}
* McDonald, Dan (1977) ''The Clyde Puffer''. Newton Abbot. [[David & Charles]]
* McKirdy, Alan Gordon, John & Crofts, Roger (2007) ''Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|978-1-84158-357-0}}
* [[W.H. Murray|Murray, W.H]] (1973) ''The Islands of Western Scotland.'' London. Eyre Methuen.
* Murray, W.H. (1977) ''The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland.'' London. Collins.
* Noble, Gordon (2006) ''Neolithic Scotland: Timber, Stone, Earth and Fire.'' Edinburgh University Press. {{ISBN|0-7486-2338-8}}
* Omand, Donald (ed.) (2006) ''The Argyll Book''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|1-84158-480-0}}
* [[Ordnance Survey]] (2009) [http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/ "Get-a-map"]. Retrieved 1–31 August 2010.
* [[William J. Watson|Watson, W. J]] (1994) ''The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. {{ISBN|1-84158-323-5}}. First published 1926.
{{Refend}}

==External links==

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