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Islands Of The Forth




The Islands of the Firth Of Forth are a minor island group, lying between Fife and the Lothian s, in east Scotland . There are few islands off eastern Scotland, and this group comprises the majority.

They include:


And also -

None of these islands has a major population at this time, and few have a permanent population, although there was formerly a village on the Isle Of May , and there have been monasteries, hermitages, lighthouses and fortifications on the other islands. Because many of the islands have the first element, "Inch-", they are featured occasionally in a Riddle , "How many inches is the Forth ?", playing on a pun on 'Inch' (''Innis''), the Gaelic word for Island , and Inch , the Imperial Measurement .

There are two main groups, namely those in the inner Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh , Leith & South Queensferry on the south shore, and Burntisland & Aberdour on the north shore (which fall under Fife); and those off East Lothian , particularly near North Berwick and Gullane

The Firth is important for Nature Conservation . The Firth of Forth Islands SPA ( Special Protection Area ) is host to over 90,000 breeding seabirds every year. There is a Bird Observatory on the Isle of May.

with Bass Rock behind]]


ECCLESIASTICAL ASSOCIATIONS

Many of the islands were said to have Culdee connections, and had chapels on them. The following is a list of saints connected with the various islands -


Inchgarvie was also said to have a culdee on it, and Inchmickery's name means "island of the vicar".


ISLANDS JUST OUTSIDE THE FIRTH

A handful of islands lie beyond the mouth of the Firth of Forth, notably, Inchcape , a notorious reef, which is technically technically off the Firth Of Tay , and also several rocks off Dunbar in East Lothian.


SEE ALSO



REFERENCES

  • Haswell-Smith, Hamish ''The Scottish Islands''