Shillay, Monach Islands

Shillay

Gaelic name	Siolaigh/Seilaigh
Norse name	Selrey
Meaning of name	Seal Island or "Herring island", from Norse
Location
Shillay Shillay shown within the Outer Hebrides
OS grid reference	NF593628
Physical geography
Island group	Monach Islands
Area	7.4 ha
Highest elevation	10 m (33 ft)
Political geography
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	Scotland
Council area	Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Demographics
Population	0
References	[1][2][3][4]

Shillay (Scottish Gaelic: Siolaigh or Seilaigh from the Norse selrey, meaning Seal island) is the westernmost of the Monach Islands (Heisgeir), off North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

Geology and geography

A ruined cottage, now replaced with a Portakabin, used until recently as a fisherman's shelter

Like most of the other Monach Islands, Shillay has a thin, sandy soil, which has been much troubled by erosion, and which was badly eroded by a huge wave in the 16th century.

Despite Ceann Iar's name, meaning "western headland", Shillay is the westernmost island of the group.

There are several small islets around Shillay, including Eilean Siorraidh, Odarum (to the north) and Raisgeir.

Lighthouse

The old lighthouse was not used between 1942 and 2008.

The lighthouse at Shillay has an uneven history. The red brick lighthouse was built in 1864 by David & Thomas Stevenson, and was in use until it was closed during the war in 1942 and not lit again in 1948 after hostilities ceased. After the Braer disaster in 1993 in the Shetlands, a new light was recommended to mark the deep water route west of the Hebrides. A new automated aluminium light was installed in 1997. However it proved inadequate and in 2005 it was decided that it was cheaper to reuse the original lighthouse than to increase the height of the new light. In 2008 the old lighthouse was refurbished and put back into use.^[5][6]

A stone from the lighthouse has been removed into the church wall at Paible; a keeper had carved into it "Eternity Oh Eternity".^[2] Interestingly, just to the south of Shillay, there is an Eilean Siorraidh ("Island of Eternity"; formerly Eilean Siorruidh) - whether this carving is a reference to this or the solitude of the island is unrecorded.

References

1. 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
2. Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
3. Ordnance Survey
4. Iain Mac an Tailleir. "Placenames" (PDF). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
5. "Monach Light". Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 2015-06-21.
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00y6hym/The_Lighthouse_Stevensons/

Coordinates: 57°31′39″N 7°41′34″W / 57.52750°N 7.69278°W