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Ayrshire Towns ... Ailsa Craig |
Ailsa Craig is a small rocky island which guards the entrance to the Firth
of Clyde. This beautiful island is a true living landmark and a familiar
sight for visitors to the Ayrshire coast south of Glasgow. It is a well
known landmark and is colloquially nicknamed ‘Paddy’s Milestone’,
being situated roughly half way on the sea voyage between Glasgow and Belfast.
It is about 1200 meters from North to South and 800 meters from east to
west, with its summit reaching about 338 meters high. On three sides it
is bounded by sheer cliffs; the Barestack at 190 meters is one of the highest
overhanging cliffs in Britain.
The ruined castle stands about 61 meters up the eastern side, In recent
years the islands population has dwindled and is now completely uninhabited
as the lighthouse has been completely automated negating the need for anyone
to stay on the island on a permanent basis.
Ailsa Craig became an RSPB nature reserve in spring 2004 - securing the
future of one Britain's most important and impressive seabird colonies,
including 40,000 pairs of breeding gannets. The 104 hectare site, lying
10 miles off the coast of Ayrshire, boasts cliffs hundreds of feet high
which provide high-rise nesting tenements for a host of spectacular seabirds.
Ailsa Craig has been firmly established as one of the premier gannet colonies
in the UK, closely behind St Kilda and the Bass Rock on Scotland's east
coast. Kittiwakes, guillemots , razorbills and gulls also nest on the island
along with the colourful puffin - now breeding again after an absence of
over a century following a huge rat-eradication programme set in place by
dedicated conservationists from Glasgow University.
Not only an amazing site for birds, Ailsa Craig is also home to some of
the largest slowworms (a type of legless lizard) recorded in Scotland, most
likely due to the absence of predators on the island. Historically the island
was famed for its high quality granite, used for curling stones including
those used for winter Olympic curling team champions.
See below for more Ayrshire Towns
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