Oronsay, Inner Hebrides
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Image:Oronsay - Hebrides.jpg Image:Oransay Priory.JPG
Oronsay (Orasaigh in Scottish Gaelic), also sometimes spelt and pronounced Oransay by the local community, is a small island south of Colonsay in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to Colonsay by a tidal causeway (called 'The Strand') consisting of sands and mud flats. It lies north-west of Jura and Eilean nan Ron (Seal Island), to the south-west, is an important grey seal breeding colony.
There are two theories for the origin of the name. Either it is from the Old Norse for Oran's Isle: St Oran was the founder of the island's monastery in 563. It may also mean, also in Old Norse, island of the ebb tide.
The island is best known for Oronsay Priory, its 14th century ruined Augustinian priory, probably on the same site as the original 563 building, and the Oronsay Cross, originally carved on Iona. It is one of several Hebridean islands that have furnished archaeologists with invaluable information about the Mesolithic period of prehistory, particularly about the diet of human beings.
[edit] References
- On the Monastic Trail: Oronsay in hidden europe magazine, Issue 4 (September 2005), pp.16-18. (Explores Columba's possible landing on Oronsay, the priory and aspects of Oronsay life today)
- A further useful note on Oronsay appears in The Scottish Islands by Hamish Haswell-Smith, pub. 1996 by Canongate Books. ISBN 0-86241-579-9. See esp. pp.46-48
[edit] External links
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- Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
- Aerial image from TerraServer
- Satellite image from WikiMapia
[edit] See also
| Islands of the Hebrides |
|---|
| Inner Hebrides |
| Ascrib Islands | Canna | Cara | Coll | Colonsay | Crowlin Islands | Easdale | Eigg | Gigha | Iona | Isay | Islay | Jura | Kerrera | Lismore | Luing | Lunga | Oronsay | Muck | Mull | Raasay | Rùm | Seil | Shuna | Skye | Soay | Staffa | Summer Isles |Tiree |
| Outer Hebrides |
| Barra (Isles) | Benbecula | Berneray | Eriskay | Flannan Isles | Great Bernera | Harris and Lewis | North Uist | Rockall | Scalpay | South Uist | St Kilda |
