Sound of Islay

The Sound of Islay (Scottish Gaelic: Caol Ìle) is a narrow strait between the islands of Islay and Jura off the west coast of Scotland. It is about 30 kilometres (20 miles) in extent from north to south and lies between Rubh' a' Mhàil on Islay and Rubh' Aird na Sgitheich on Jura to the north and Macarthur's Head and Rubha na Tràille to the south. The islands in the Sound are Am Fraoch Eilean, Brosdale Island and Glas Eilean, all of which are off the south east coast of Jura. These islands, Jura south of Loch Tarbert and the eastern part of the Sound are one of 40 National Scenic Areas in Scotland.

Sound of Islay
Caol Ìle (Scottish Gaelic)
Islay and south Jura. The Sound of Islay lies between them at top right.
Sound of Islay
Coordinates	55°51′N 6°06′W / 55.85°N 6.10°W / 55.85; -6.10
Type	Sound

Frozen	No

The Sound of Islay (Scottish Gaelic: Caol Ìle) is a narrow strait between the islands of Islay and Jura off the west coast of Scotland. It is about 30 kilometres (20 miles) in extent from north to south and lies between Rubh' a' Mhàil on Islay and Rubh' Aird na Sgitheich on Jura to the north and Macarthur's Head and Rubha na Tràille to the south. The islands in the Sound are Am Fraoch Eilean, Brosdale Island and Glas Eilean, all of which are off the south east coast of Jura. These islands, Jura south of Loch Tarbert and the eastern part of the Sound are one of 40 National Scenic Areas in Scotland.^[1]

History

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Am Fraoch Eilean (meaning "heather isle") contains the ruins of the medieval stronghold Claig Castle. It was built by Somerled in 1154 to defend the Sound and later used as a prison. Unusually for the Argyll islands the design, which is a Norman square tower with 3-metre-thick (10-foot) walls, is similar in style to mainland castles of the period.^[2]^[3] The Sound has been suggested as the location of the 1156 Battle of Epiphany.^[4]

In 1549 Dean Monro wrote: "At the mouth of Kyle Ila, betwixt it and Duray, lyes ane ile, callit in Erische Leid Ellan Charne, in English the iyle of Earne".^[5] This may refer to Eilean a' Chùirn at NR472489.^[6]

Ferry

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Argyll and Bute Council operate a vehicle and passenger ferry service across the Sound from Feolin slipway on the west coast of Jura to Port Askaig on Islay, and Caledonian MacBrayne operate a vehicle and passenger ferry between Port Askaig and Kennacraig, on the mainland in West Loch Tarbert.

Renewable energy

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In March 2011, the Scottish Government approved the largest tidal array in the world for the Sound of Islay, with 10 planned tidal turbines predicted to generate enough power for over 5,000 homes. The site offers both high currents and shelter from storms.^[7]

References

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^ "National Scenic Areas" Archived 2017-03-11 at the Wayback Machine. SNH. Retrieved 30 Mar 2011.
^ Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 50-51
^ RCAHMS (1984) p. 36
^ Marsden (2008) p.84
^ Monro (1549) "Earne Isle" No. 56
^ In Scottish Gaelic cùirn is the genitive of càrn. Translation from Scots: "At the mouth of the Straits of Islay, between it and Jura, lies an island, called in the Gaelic language Ellan Charne, which is in English the Isle of Earne".
^ "Islay to get major tidal power scheme" (March 17, 2011) BBC Scotland. Retrieved 17 March 2011.

Sources

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Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
Marsden, John (2008) Somerled and the Emergence of Gaelic Scotland. Birlinn. East Linton. First published, 2000.
Monro, Sir Donald (1549) Description of the Western Isles of Scotland. William Auld. Edinburgh - 1774 edition.
RCAHMS (1984) Argyll: Islay, Jura, Colonsay & Oronsay.

External links

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Map sources for Sound of Islay

v t e Islay
Villages	Ardbeg Ardilistry Ardtalla Ballygrant Bowmore Bridgend Bruichladdich Bunnahabhain Easter Ellister Kilchiaran Kilchoman Kilmeny Lagavulin Nerabus Port Askaig Port Charlotte Port Ellen Portnahaven
Geographical features	Ardnave Point Aros Bay Beinn Bheigeir Bowmore Sandstone Group Claggain Bay Colonsay Group Eilean Mhic Coinnich Gruinart Flats Lagavulin Bay Loch an t-Sailein Loch Gruinart Loch Indaal Machir Bay The Oa Rhinns complex Rinns of Islay River Laggan Sound of Islay
History and architecture	Battle of Benbigrie Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart Battle of Epiphany Cenél nÓengusa Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg Clark Cottage Dun Bhruichlinn Dun Guaidhre Dun Nosebridge Dunlossit House Dunyvaig Castle Finlaggan Islay Charter Islay House Islay LIMPET Islay Woollen Mill Kildalton Castle Kilarrow Parish Church RAF Kilchiaran Kildalton Cross Loch Gorm Castle Margadale Mulindry House Ramsay Hall, Port Ellen St John's Church, Port Ellen
Islay whisky	Ardbeg Ardnahoe Bowmore Bruichladdich Bunnahabhain Caol Ila Kilchoman Lagavulin Laphroaig Port Charlotte Port Ellen
Other Islay related articles	Islay Airport Machrie golf course MV Finlaggan Sorex araneus grantii Westering Home Western Isles Open Championship

v t e National scenic areas in Scotland
Aberdeenshire	Deeside and Lochnagar
Argyll and Bute	Jura Ben Nevis and Glen Coe (part) Knapdale Kyles of Bute Loch Lomond (part) Loch na Keal Lynn of Lorn Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs
Dumfries and Galloway	East Stewartry Coast Fleet Valley Nith Estuary
Highland	Assynt-Coigach Ben Nevis and Glen Coe (part) Cairngorms (part) Cuillin Hills Dornoch Firth Glen Affric Glen Strathfarrar Kintail Knoydart Kyle of Tongue Loch Shiel Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan North West Sutherland Small Isles Trotternish Wester Ross
Moray	Cairngorms (part)
Na h-Eileanan Siar	South Lewis, Harris and North Uist South Uist Machair St Kilda
North Ayrshire	North Arran
Orkney	Hoy and West Mainland
Perth and Kinross	Ben Nevis and Glen Coe (part) Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon (part) Loch Tummel River Earn (Comrie to St Fillans) River Tay (Dunkeld)
Scottish Borders	Eildon and Leaderfoot Upper Tweeddale
Shetland	Shetland
Stirling	Loch Lomond (part) Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon (part) The Trossachs
West Dunbartonshire	Loch Lomond (part)
Scotland portal

Aquatic ecosystems

General components and freshwater ecosystems

General	Acoustic ecology Algal bloom Anoxic waters Aquatic adaptation Aquatic animal Insect Mammal Water bird Aquatic biomonitoring Aquatic plant Aquatic population dynamics Aquatic predation Aquatic respiration Aquatic science Aquatic toxicology Benthos Bioluminescence Biomass Cascade effect Colored dissolved organic matter Dead zone Ecohydrology Eutrophication Fisheries science Food chain Food web GIS and aquatic science Hydrobiology Hypoxia Macrobenthos Meiobenthos Microbial ecology Microbial food web Microbial loop Mycoloop Nekton Neuston Particle Pelagic zone Photic zone Phytoplankton Plankton Pleuston Productivity Ramsar Convention Sediment trap Semiaquatic Shoaling and schooling Siltation Spawn Stable isotope analysis in aquatic ecosystems Stream metabolism Substrate Thermal pollution Trophic level Underwater camouflage Water column Zooplankton
Freshwater	Freshwater biology Freshwater biome Freshwater environmental quality parameters Freshwater fish Hyporheic zone Limnology Lake ecosystem Lake stratification Macrophyte Pond Fish pond Rheotaxis River Ecosystem Stream bed Stream pool Trophic state index Upland and lowland Water garden Wetland Bog Brackish marsh Fen Freshwater marsh Freshwater swamp forest
Ecoregions	List of freshwater ecoregions (WWF) Africa and Madagascar Latin America and the Caribbean List of marine ecoregions Specific examples Everglades Maharashtra North Pacific Subtropical Gyre San Francisco Estuary

Marine ecosystems (components)

General

Marine life

Census of Marine Life Deep-sea community Deep-water coral Marine fungi Marine invertebrates Marine larval ecology Seagrass Seashore wildlife Wild fisheries
Microorganisms	Marine bacteriophage Marine prokaryotes Marine protists Marine viruses Paradox of the plankton
Vertebrates	Marine mammal Marine reptile list Saltwater fish Coastal fish Coral reef fish Deep-sea fish Demersal fish Pelagic fish Seabird

Marine habitats

Conservation

v t e Coastal geography
Landforms	Anchialine pool Archipelago Atoll Avulsion Ayre Barrier island Bay Bight Bodden Brackish marsh Cape Channel Cliff Coast Coastal plain Coastal waterfall Continental margin Continental shelf Coral reef Cove Dune cliff-top Estuary Firth Fjard Fjord Freshwater marsh Fundus Gat Geo Gulf Gut Hapua Headland Inlet Intertidal wetland Island Islet Isthmus Liman Lagoon Machair Mudflat Natural arch Peninsula Reef Ria Salt marsh Shoal Skerry Sound Spit Stack Strait Strand plain Submarine canyon Tidal island Tidal marsh Tide pool Tied island Tombolo Waituna Windwatt
Beaches	Beach cusps Beach evolution Beach ridge Beach wrack Beaches in estuaries and bays Beachrock Coastal morphodynamics Pocket beach Raised beach Recession Shell beach Shingle beach Storm beach Wash margin
River mouths	Debouch Mouth bar River delta mega regressive
Processes	Blowhole Cliffed coast Coastal biogeomorphology Coastal erosion Concordant coastline Current Cuspate foreland Discordant coastline Emergent coastline Feeder bluff Flat coast Graded shoreline Ingression coast Large-scale coastal behaviour Longshore drift Marine regression Marine transgression Raised shoreline Rip current Rocky shore Sea cave Sea foam Shoal peresyp Steep coast Submergent coastline Surf break Surf zone Surge channel Swash Undertow Volcanic arc Wave-cut platform Wave shoaling Wind fetch Wind wave
Management	Accretion Coastal management Integrated coastal zone management Submersion
Related	Bulkhead line Coastal engineering Grain size boulder clay cobble granule gravel pebble sand shingle silt Intertidal zone Littoral zone Physical oceanography Region of freshwater influence River plume
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