Staffin Island
Staffin Island[4][5] (possibly also known as Stenscholl Island[1]) is an uninhabited[6] islet off the east coast of the Trotternish peninsula of Skye in Scotland.
| Scottish Gaelic name | Eilean Stafainn |
|---|---|
| Old Norse name | Fladdaidh(?)[1] |
| Meaning of name | Norse for "flat island".[2] |
 Staffin Island from The Quirang | |
| Location | |
  Staffin Island Staffin Island shown relative to Skye | |
| OS grid reference | NG491693 |
| Coordinates | 57.64°N 6.205°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Skye |
| Area | 22 ha[3] |
| Highest elevation | c. 10 metres (33 ft)[4] |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Highland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
 | |
| References | [4] |
The Norse name may have been Fladdaidh[1] meaning "flat island". The Gaelic name Eilean Stafainn has the same meaning as the modern English name which is taken from the nearby settlement of Staffin.[7]
In 2011 it was reported that the island may be the last in Scotland where the old tradition of having cattle swim between grazings is still carried out. Crofter Iain MacDonald, who used to swim with the animals, now uses a boat to encourage them to swim from Staffin Island to Skye in early spring and back again in October.[8]
"The Hut on Staffin Island" is a tune composed by Phil Cunningham.[9]
See also
Notes
- "Fladdaidh" Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine Staffin Community Trust. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- Orkney placenames. Orkneyjar. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
- Rick Livingstone’s Tables of the Islands of Scotland (pdf) Argyll Yacht Charters. Retrieved 12 Dec 2011.
- Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure.
- Haswell-Smith (2004) p. 174
- "Staffin Island". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 107
- "Skye crofter 'last' to swim his cattle between grazings" (11 February 2011) BBC News. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
- "The Hut on Staffin Island" nigelgatherer.com. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Staffin Island. |
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- Mac an Tàilleir, Iain (2003) Ainmean-àite/Placenames. (pdf) Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
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