Sgat Mòr and Sgat Beag facts for kids
Sgat Mòr and Sgat Beag are two small islands located on the west coast of Scotland. They sit right at the mouth of Loch Fyne, close to the Cowal peninsula. Their names come from the English words "The Skate Islands," meaning "Big Skate Island" (Sgat Mòr) and "Little Skate Island" (Sgat Beag).
Sgat Mòr is found directly south of another island called Eilean Aoidhe. It rises about 11 metres (36 ft) above the sea. Sgat Beag is a similar, slightly smaller island. It is located about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) to the east, across the mouth of Asgog Bay.
These islands might be named after the skate fish. However, there are also places like "Skate Point" and "Skate Bay" on nearby Great Cumbrae. This suggests "skate" could be a local word with a different meaning.
The water channel between Sgat Mòr and the Cowal shoreline (at Eilean Aoidhe) is deep enough for boats. Local sailing races often happen here. Even famous old ships like the paddle steamer Waverley and the MV Balmoral regularly sail through this narrow passage. The waters south of these islands are the deepest in the whole Clyde area. A special light, like a small lighthouse, called a beacon, stands on the southwest shore of Sgat Mòr.
Island Wildlife
Sgat Mòr was once an important home for the common eider duck. These ducks used to breed there. However, in the mid-2000s, animals called mink arrived on the island. Mink are not naturally found there and they hunted the eider ducks. Because of this, the number of eider ducks breeding on Sgat Mòr dropped a lot.
Shipwrecks and Dangers
For a long time, Sgat Mòr and Sgat Beag have been very dangerous for ships. More than nine ships have crashed or sunk on or near these islands. Here are a few examples:
- The Peggy, a sloop (a type of sailboat), was lost on March 4, 1806. It dragged its anchor and was pushed onto the shore.
- The Brandon, a lighter (a boat used to carry goods), was blown out of Tarbert Harbour. It wrecked at Sgat Mòr on February 12, 1856, but the crew was saved.
- The Banshee, a wherry (another type of boat), was carrying 35 tonnes of coal from Glasgow to Inveraray. It got stuck on the rocks and was completely destroyed on May 31, 1882.
- The Euphemia, a wooden lugger (a small fishing boat) from Lochranza, crashed with a steamship called St Kilda. Two of the three crew members died on July 17, 1888.
- The Mary, another wooden lugger from Port Bannatyne, collided with the steamship Battle Isle on September 23, 1898.
- The Warlock, an iron steamship carrying crushed granite, sank three miles south of Sgat Mòr on November 19, 1905.
- The Hilda, a cutter (a type of sailboat), got stuck on rocks on the east side of Sgat Mòr on August 4, 1906.
- The Moonlight (which used to be called the SS Ormsa), a steam-powered barge, was traveling from Furnace to Ormidale. It sank in rough seas south of Sgat Beag on August 25, 1948. It was trying to find shelter at Sgat Mòr, but four of the five people on board were lost.
- The Tynesider, a tugboat on its way from Troon to Ardcastle, Lochgair, ran aground on Sgat Mòr. It sank on April 5, 1994, after several tries to pull it free.
