Ailsa Craig

island in the outer Firth of Clyde, South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK

Key facts

Scottish gaelic name: Creag Ealasaid
Os grid reference: NX019997
Island group: Firth of Clyde
Area: 99 ha (240 acres)
Area rank: 150=
Highest elevation: 338 m (1,109 ft), (a Marilyn )
Council area: South Ayrshire
Country: Scotland
Sovereign state: United Kingdom

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Population: 0
Area: 99
Elevation: 338
Image: Ailsa Craig Scotland 2022.jpg
Width: 1.1
Length: 1.3

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Ailsa Craig

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~22 min read

Article

Ailsa Craig (/ˈeɪlsə/; Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an island of 99 ha (1 km; 245 acres) in the outer Firth of Clyde, 16 km (8+1⁄2 nmi) west of mainland Scotland. The island's microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises an eroded magmatic pluton formed during the same period of igneous activity as magmatic rocks on the nearby Isle of Arran.

The island, colloquially known as "Paddy's Milestone" because it is halfway between Belfast and Glasgow, was a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary, providing a home for huge numbers of gannets and an increasing number of puffins.