Orosay

Orosay (Scottish Gaelic: Orasaigh) is a small uninhabited tidal island in the Sound of Barra lying at the north end of Traigh Mhòr, the ‘big beach’ on the north east coast of Barra. It is one of ten islands in the Sound of Barra, a Site of Community Importance for conservation in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. It is about 30 hectares (74 acres) in extent and the highest point is 38 metres (125 ft).

Orosay from the air, with the narrows of Caolas Orasaigh in the foreground and Gighay and Hellisay beyond.

Not to be confused with Orsay.

Orosay

Gaelic name	Orasaigh
Norse name	Örfirisey[1]
Meaning of name	"tidal island"
Location
Orosay Orosay shown within the Outer Hebrides
OS grid reference	NF712060
Coordinates	57.028056°N 7.420556°W / 57.028056; -7.420556
Physical geography
Island group	Barra
Area	38 hectares (94 acres)[2]
Highest elevation	38 metres (125 ft)
Administration
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Council area	Western Isles
Demographics
Population	Uninhabited
References	[3]

Geography and etymology

Inland, the nearest settlement is Eoligarry, separated from the island by the strait of Caolas Orasaigh (English: "Sound of Orosay").[4] The smaller beach of Tràigh Cille-bharra ("the beach of the church of Barra") lies to the north. The islands of Fuday, Greanamul, Gighay and Hellisay lie further offshore in the Sound of Barra.[3] The name "Orosay" is a variant of "Oronsay", from the Old Norse for "tidal" or "ebb island",[1] found commonly in the Hebrides. For example, there are two other small Orosay/Orosaighs surrounding Barra alone. One is at grid reference NL665970 at the south eastern approaches to Castle Bay and the second at grid reference NL641971 in Caolas Bhatarsaigh east of the causeway.[3]

History

The writer Compton Mackenzie lived on Barra nearby and is buried at Cille Bharra, opposite the island.[5][6] There is no record of Orosay itself ever having been permanently inhabited.

Beach runway

Orosay and the "runway" at Barra airport

Barra's airport uses Traigh Mhòr ("big beach"), also known as Cockle Strand, as a runway.[4] Planes can only land and take off at low tide, and the timetable varies with the tides. Reputedly, this is the only airport in the world to have scheduled flights landing on a beach. The aircraft currently in operation on Barra is the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, flown by Loganair on services to Glasgow and Benbecula. Traigh Mhòr also provides commercial cockle harvesting.[7]

In the 1970s concern was expressed about the progressive deepening of Caolas Orasaigh as a possible cause of increased ponding of water on the beach runway at low tide. The problem does not, however, appear to have been serious and apparently no action was taken.[8]

Orosay in literature

Julian Barnes's short story "Marriage Lines" (collected in Pulse (2011)) is set entirely on Orosay.

See Also

• List of the islands of the Sound of Barra
• List of Outer Hebrides

References

• Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
• Watson, W.J. (2004) The History of the Celtic Place-names of Scotland. Reprinted with an introduction by Simon Taylor. Edinburgh. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-323-5

Footnotes

1. Watson (2004) p. 505.
2. Rick Livingstone’s Tables of the Islands of Scotland (pdf) Argyll Yacht Charters. Retrieved 12 Dec 2011.
3. Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure.
4. "Orosay, Sound of" Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
5. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 221. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
6. "Cille Bharra". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
7. "Barra Airport". Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. Retrieved 6 April 2009.
8. Ritchie, W. (1971) Commissioned Report No. 047: The beaches of Barra and the Uists. A survey of the beach, dune and machair areas of Barra, South Uist, Benbecula, North Uist and Berneray. SNH/Countryside Commission for Scotland. Retrieved 17 August 2009. pp 71-72.