Eilean Mhealasta facts for kids
| Gaelic name | Eilean Mhealasta |
|---|---|
| Norse name | muli-stoair |
| Meaning of name | promontory farm |
| OS grid reference | NB382099 |
| Coordinates | 58°05′N 7°08′W / 58.08°N 7.13°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Lewis and Harris |
| Area | 124 ha |
| Area rank | 135 |
| Highest elevation | Cnoc Àrd 77 m |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Eilean Mhealasta (Mealista Island) is an uninhabited island off the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It takes its name from Mealista, a nearby township on Lewis.
History
Nearby Mealista had a shrine to St Catan, but it is not known if the island itself had a Culdee settlement.
The ruins of old buildings of a previous community can still be seen. In 1823 the island was incorporated into a sheep farm. Thereafter no permanent inhabitants were recorded.
The island is used as sheep grazing.
Geography and geology
Eilean Mhealasta lies 1⁄2 mile (800 metres) from the west coast of Lewis, 3 miles (5 kilometres) south of Brenish (Breanais) and several miles north of Scarp. It is just over a kilometre long, and indented with a bay, Camas Leirageo in the west, which contains, Sgeir na Geòdha Ruaidh. The east coast has a clean sandy beach, while the west coast is rocky.
The island is a bedrock of gneiss, some of which contains a reddish quartz. There are natural arches on the east coast.
See also
In Spanish: Mealasta para niños
