Handa Island facts for kids
| Gaelic name | Eilean Shannda |
|---|---|
| Norse name | Sandey |
| Meaning of name | sand isle |
| OS grid reference | NC138480 |
| Coordinates | 58°22′48″N 5°11′10″W / 58.380°N 05.186°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Inner Hebrides/Islands of Sutherland |
| Area | 309 hectares (1+3⁄16 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 87= |
| Highest elevation | Sithean Mòr 123 m (404 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
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Handa Island (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Shannda) or usually Handa, is an island in Eddrachillis Bay off the west coast of Sutherland, Scotland. It is 309 hectares (760 acres) and 123 metres (404 ft) at its highest point.
The island is of national importance for its birdlife and maritime vegetation, and is a Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and a Special Protection Area (SPA). Notable seabirds include guillemots, great skuas, puffins and razorbills. Handa also forms part of the North-West Sutherland national scenic area, one of 40 such areas in Scotland.
A small ferry sails to Handa from Tarbet on the mainland and boat trips operate to it from Fanagmore. The island receives five thousand visitors per annum.
Etymology
The island's name is of mixed Gaelic and Norse origin. The Norse name was Sandey meaning "sand isle" from Old Norse: sandr. It was recorded in Joan Blaeu's 1654 Atlas of Scotland as "Ellan-Handey" with the addition of the Gaelic Eilean (meaing simply "island") and the Norse form having become Handey and ultimately "Handa" due to due to aspiration in Gaelic. MacBain and Haswell-Smith support the derivation of "sand isle", although Mac an Tàilleir translates the modern Gaelic of Eilean Shannda as "island at the sandy river".
Geography and geology
Handa is composed of Torridonian red sandstone and surrounded by cliffs covered with birds. In the north is a hill with two peaks, with the south and east being lower lying. The north and west have 100-metre-high (330 ft) cliffs, and there are beaches in the south and east. The Sound of Handa separates it from the mainland and smaller islands around Handa include Glas-Leac to the south, Eilean an Aigeach to the north east and Stac an t-Sealbhaig to the north.
Flora and fauna
Handa is noted for its birdlife, which includes puffins, razorbills and guillemots. The SPA designation lists six priority species: fulmar, great skua, guillemot, kittiwake, and razorbill. The breeding colonies of razorbills and guillemots on Handa are the largest in the UK, representing 11% and 9% of the total British population respectively. The arctic skua and kittiwake populations are also of national importance, representing >1% and 2% of the British population respectively. Other birds at Handa include eider ducks and oystercatchers, and seals and otters can often be seen at Boulder Bay on the island's southern coast. Dolphins, basking sharks and several species of whale regularly visit the seas surrounding Handa.
Handa is also of national importance for its maritime vegetation. The exposed cliff tops are home to maritime grassland species that can tolerate salt, such as thrift, sea plantain and Festuca rubra. In less exposed areas can be found herb-rich grasslands which support species such as Yorkshire fog, bluebell and Scots lovage. Heather and crowberry are also widespread across the island.
History
The island's name is of mixed Gaelic and Norse origin and means "island at the sandy river".
Anciently the island was used as a burial place, and there are still the remains of a chapel in the south east, commemorated in the name Tràigh an Teampaill (Beach of the Temple).
It had a population of 65 in 1841, but following the 1847 potato famine the inhabitants emigrated to Nova Scotia. In some ways this is surprising, since it is recorded that the islanders had a fairly varied diet including oats, fish and seabirds, rather than depending heavily on a potato crop. The islanders had a parliament, similar to that of St Kilda, which met daily, and the oldest widow on the island was considered its "Queen".
The Great Stack of Handa was first climbed from the sea on 1 August 1969 by Graeme Hunter, Hamish MacInnes & Douglas Lang.
The island is now part of the Scourie Estate, owned by Dr Jean Balfour and J.C. Balfour. The Balfours leased Handa to the RSPB for 25 years, however this lease was not renewed, because the Balfours wished a Scottish-based body to run the island; as a result the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) took it over. Under the SWT the island is managed by one warden and a handful of volunteers during the summer months.
Gallery
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Stacah Geodh Bhrisidh
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Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) at Handa Island
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Puffin (Fratercula arctica) at Handa Island
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Great skua (Stercorarius skua) at Handa Island
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Sign for the breeding birds' protected area
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Quinag and Scourie across the Sound of Handa
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