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Revision as of 18:28, 30 October 2007 by MacRusgail (talk | contribs) (→Wildlife)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Ulva (disambiguation).| Scottish Gaelic name | Ulbha |
|---|---|
| Old Norse name | Ulv-oy/Ulfrsey |
| Meaning of name | Old Norse for 'wolf island' or 'Ulfr's island' |
| Location | |
| File:Ulva.PNG | |
| OS grid reference | NM410396 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Mull |
| Area | 1,990 ha |
| Area rank | 35 |
| Highest elevation | Beinn Creagach 313 m |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Argyll and Bute |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 16 |
| Population rank | 67 |
| Largest settlement | Ulva House |
 | |
| References | |
Ulva is a privately owned island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull.
There are several ruined settlements on the island, the most famous of which being Ormaig.
The island has a population of sixteen people (2001 census).
A ferry sails from Ulva to the hamlet of Ulva Ferry on Mull. At low tide, Ulva is linked to the island of Gometra.
Geology
Ulva's interior is heather-covered moorland, while the south coast has basalt columns similar to those on Staffa. The Hebridean coastline has been subject to significant post-glacial changes in sea level and the area is rising up at about 2 mm per annum as isostatic equilibrium is regained. The relative drop in sea-level has left the highest raised sea cave in Britain on Ulva at A' Chrannog.
History
The origin of the name "Ulva" is the Scottish Gaelic, "Ulbha", which in turn comes from Old Norse. It probably means "Wolf's Island", but it is debatable whether "Ulfr" refers to an individual's name, or to the animal itself.
Ulva came into the possession of the MacQuarrie (MacGuaire ) family around a thousand years ago, and they controlled it until the mid-19th century. The name "MacGuaire" is also anglicised as McGuire in Ireland.
A piper named MacArthur set up a famous piping school here. He himself was trained by the great MacCrimmon dynasty of Skye, whose piping skills were legendary in Gaeldom.
Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales, was born on Ulva in 1762. He is sometimes referred to as "Father of Australia".
Dr Johnson and Boswell visited the island in 1773, and Walter Scott also some decades later.
By the early 19th century, potatoes were a major staple of the island, and Ulva actually exported them. Until the mid-nineteenth century its main industry was kelp collection and export. A church on the island designed by Thomas Telford dates from this period. Mr F.W. Clark bought the island and began a brutal clearance of two thirds of the inhabitants within a few years. Sometimes those who were to be evicted were given no warning, and had the thatch of their houses set on fire by the factor. The Clark family owned the island well into the 20th century.
In 1841, the population of Ulva and Gometra was 859, but by 1848, this had plummetted to 150 thanks to a combination of the Highland potato famine, and Mr Clark's evictions. By 1889, the population of the two islands had fallen further to 83, with 53 on Ulva by itself. A bit under a century later, in 1981, the population of Ulva had fallen to 13, the lowest point in recorded history. In 1991, it had risen to 30, mostly due to incomers working on the island.
Wildlife
Ulva is known for its wildlife, which as is usual for many Scottish islands, includes many varieties of sea birds. Other bird species on the island include Buzzards, Golden Eagles and Sea Eagles.
Land mammals that can be found on the island, include Red Deer, rabbits, hares and otters.
Bracken is particularly abundant on the island, with heather growing in some other parts.
References
- ^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
- 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
- Ordnance Survey
- The Geology of Mull Retrieved 5 April 2007.
56°28.5′N 6°12′W / 56.4750°N 6.200°W / 56.4750; -6.200
External links
| Inhabited islands of the Hebrides | ||
|---|---|---|
| Inner Hebrides |  | |
| Outer Hebrides | ||