Luing
| Luing Gaelic: Luinn | |
 Flooded slate quarry on Luing | |
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| Main village: | Cullipool |
| Location | |
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| Location: | 56°13’48"N, 5°39’0"W |
| Grid reference: | NM740100 |
| Area: | 3,534 acrea |
| Highest point: | Beinn Furachail, 308 feet |
| Data | |
| Population: | 195 |
Luing is one of the Slate Islands, a group of the Inner Hebrides lying in the Firth of Lorn, in the west of Argyllshire about 16 miles south of Oban. It has a population of around 200 people, mostly living in Cullipool, Toberonochy (Tobar Dhonnchaidh), and Blackmillbay.[1]
Name
According to Haswell-Smith (2004) the name "Luing' may derive from the Old Norse lyng, meaning "heather" or long meaning ship.[2] However, Mac an Tàilleir (2003) states "this is probably a pre-Gaelic name of unclear meaning."
Economy and culture
A regular ferry service crosses the 200-yard wide Cuan Sound which separates Luing from the neighbouring island of Seil, which is in turn connected by bridge to the mainland.[1]
The main industries on Luing are tourism, lobster fishing and beef farming, although slate quarrying was important until 1965,[2] with quarries at Toberonochy, Cullipool, and a smaller one at Port Mary. Slate from Luing was used in the construction of the University of Glasgow and re-roofing of Iona Abbey.
Luing cattle were first developed here, as a commercial beef breed hardy enough to prosper under adverse weather.[3] They are a breed of red beef cattle, produced by the Cadzow family in 1947 from a cross between Beef Shorthorn and Highland cattle.[4]
History
The island shares much of its history with the rest of the Inner Hebrides and would, it is believed, have formed part of the Gaelic kingdom of Dalriada and from the 9th century to the Norse Kingdom of the Isles, hence its Norse. However, when King Edgar of Scotland signed a treaty with Magnus Barefoot in 1098, formally giving up Scottish claims to the Hebrides and Kintyre, the Scots retained Luing and Lismore.[5]
The graveyard at the ruined church of Kilchattan documents the lives of past islanders, with quarriers, sailors and crofters side by side. Gravestones of note include those of Covenanter Alexander Campbell.[6]
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Luing) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Luing". Undiscovered Scotland. http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/luing/luing. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 1841954543.
- ↑ "Luing Cattle". Luing Cattle Society. http://www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk/. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
- ↑ "Overview of Luing". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst1521.html. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
- ↑ Sellar (2000) p. 191
- ↑ Luing: Heritage - Isle of Luing
- Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 1841954543.
- Sellar, William David Hamilton (2000). "Hebridean sea kings: The successors of Somerled, 1164–1316". in Cowan, Edward J.; McDonald, Russell Andrew. Alba: Celtic Scotland in the middle ages. Tuckwell Press. ISBN 1-86232-151-5.
| The Slate Islands |
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Belnahua • Easdale • Fladda • Luing • Lunga • Seil • Shuna • Torsa |
Coordinates: 56°13′45″N 5°38′44″W / 56.22917°N 5.64556°W