Rabbit Islands, Scotland facts for kids
The Rabbit Islands are a group of three small islands located off the northern coast of Sutherland, Scotland. You can find them in Tongue Bay. These islands are not home to any people, meaning they are uninhabited. In Scottish Gaelic, the language of Scotland, they are often called Eileanan nan Gall. This name means "islands of the strangers" or "islands of the Norsemen".
What are the Rabbit Islands Like?
The Rabbit Islands got their modern name because of their sandy ground. This type of soil is perfect for rabbits to dig their burrows, making it easy to see where they live. However, a disease called myxomatosis reduced the number of rabbits on the islands around 2016.
The islands are quite flat and long. They are made mostly of sandstone. The area around them, including Tongue Bay, shows signs of past glaciation. This means that huge sheets of ice once moved across the land, shaping it.
Island Features and Connections
The island furthest to the north is called Sgeir an Òir. It has a cool natural rock arch at its northern end, which is named "Claigeann na Sgeir". This means "Bell of the Skerry" (a skerry is a small rocky island).
The island to the southwest is connected to the middle island by a sand spit. A sand spit is a narrow piece of land made of sand that sticks out into the water. This one is only visible when the tide is low. There's also another sand spit that reaches the mainland, but you can only see it during very low spring tides.
The Rabbit Islands are close to mainland villages like Coldbackie, Melness, and Talmine. Another island, Eilean nan Ròn, is located to their northeast. The islands are part of the parish of Tongue.
History of the Rabbit Islands
The older name for the islands, "Eileanan nan Gall", tells us a bit about their past. It means "islands of the strangers" or "Norsemen". This suggests that people from Norway or other Norse lands might have visited or lived near these islands a long time ago.
There's a story that a ship carrying gold for Charles Edward Stuart (also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie) was wrecked on one of the islands. The name Sgeir an Òir, which means "skerry of the gold", might be connected to this old tale.
Today, the islands are a popular spot for people who enjoy scuba diving. In the past, they were also used for grazing animals, meaning farmers would let their sheep or cattle eat grass there.
