Island Macaskin Explained

Location Map:Scotland Argyll and Bute
Caption:Island Macaskin shown within Argyll and Bute
Coordinates:56.14°N -5.56°W
Gridreference:NR786994
Celtic Name:Eilean MhicAsgain
Area:50ha [1] [2]
Area Rank:199=
Highest Elevation:65 m
Main Settlement:Main hut
Local Authority:Argyll and Bute
References:[3] [4]

Island Macaskin or MacAskin (Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic: Eilean MhicAsgain) is an island in Loch Craignish, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is owned by the Jenkin family and has been since 1904.

History and wildlife

The island was formerly inhabited, and unusually for the Scottish islands, is quite well wooded, with some mature trees scattered about. It appears to have been abandoned in the 1880s, but there is ample evidence of human habitation on it, including a number of walls, a sheep pen, and a lime kiln.

A number of wild flowers grow here, though not as many as on nearby Eilean Rìgh.

Geography and geology

The island is long and narrow, aligned southwest–northeast, parallel to the nearby shore of the mainland. It is basically a ridge, with the west being higher than the east. The western side is dominated by the steep sides to the islands central ridge that reaches a height of 650NaN0. A line of skerries extend from the south of the island into the Sound of Jura.[1]

The geology is metamorphic apidiorite with some Dalriadan quartzite at the south end.

It is surrounded by various smaller islands including Eilean nan Gabhar, Eilean nan Coinean, Garbh Rèisa, Rèisa an t-Sruith, Rèisa MhicPhàidein and Eilean na Cille.

External links

56.1364°N -5.5628°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Overview of Island Macaskin. Gazetteer for Scotland. 16 December 2007.
  2. Both Haswell-Smith (2004) and the Gazetteer for Scotland state the area is 50 ha. However, estimates from Ordnance Survey maps suggest it may be in the 60-70 ha range.
  3. General Register Office for Scotland (28 November 2003) Occasional Paper No 10: Statistics for Inhabited Islands . Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  4. http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ "Get-a-Map"