Belnahua
| Belnahua Gaelic: Beul na h-Uamha | |
 Belnahua | |
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| Location | |
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| Location: | 56°15’0"N, 5°41’24"W |
| Grid reference: | NM713127 |
| Highest point: | 72 ft |
| Data | |
| Population: | 0 |
Belnahua is one of the Slate Islands, in the Firth of Lorn in Argyllshire, known for its slate quarries. It, along with nearby Fladda and Lunga forms part of the parish of Jura. The name is from the Gaelic Beul na h-Uamha, meaning 'The mouth of the cave'.
It lies a mile and a half north-west of Luing, and east of the Garvellachs. Although it once had a population of nearly 200 people, it has been uninhabited since World War I. Famed for its slate, the island has been considerably denuded by its quarrying. Deep water-filled cuttings and the ruined slate workers cottages remain as a testament of this industry.[1]
There was a jetty to the east of the island, but it has been worn away within the last quarter of the twentieth century, and an extensive drying reef to the north-west.[2] The Latvian vessel Helena Faulbaums foundered on the reef in 1936, with the loss of 16 lives.[3]
A quiet home for local wildlife, the island is occasionally a stop off for local fisher folk and tourists. It is currently owned by the Carling family.[3]
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Belnahua) |
References
- ↑ "Overview of Belnahua". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1527.html. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
- ↑ Ordnance Survey
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate.
| The Slate Islands |
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Belnahua • Easdale • Fladda • Luing • Lunga • Seil • Shuna • Torsa |