Flannan Isles
| Gaelic name |  Na h-Eileanan Flannach |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Flannan Isles |
| Location | |
 Flannan Isles
Flannan Isles shown within the Outer Hebrides
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| OS grid reference | NA720460 |
| Coordinates | 58°18′N 7°36′W / 58.3°N 7.6°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Lewis and Harris |
| Area | 58.87 hectares (145.5 acres) over more than seven islands. |
| Area rank | Eilean Mòr is 325th |
| Highest elevation | 88 m on Eilean Mòr |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Na h-Eileanan Siar |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Largest settlement | Flannan Isles Lighthouse is the only habitable structure |
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| References | |
The Flannan Isles (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan Flannach,pronounced [nə ˈhelanən ˈflˠ̪an̪ˠəx]) or alternatively, the Seven Hunters are a small island group in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) west of the Isle of Lewis. They may take their name from Saint Flannan, the seventh-century Irish preacher and abbot.
The islands have been devoid of permanent residents since the automation of Flannan Isles Lighthouse in 1971. They are the location of an enduring mystery that occurred in December 1900, when all three lighthouse keepers vanished without trace.
The islands are split into three groups: the main cluster of rocks that lie to the northeast include the two principal islands of Eilean Mòr (Big Isle), which is approximately 17.5 hectares (43 acres) in extent, and Eilean Taighe (House Isle); to the south lie Soray (Eastward Isle) and Sgeir Tomain; while the main western outcrops are Eilean a' Gobha (Isle of the Blacksmith), Roaireim (which has a natural rock arch), and Bròna Cleit (Sad Sunk Rock). The total land area amounts to approximately 50 hectares (120 acres) and the highest point is 88 metres (289 ft) above sea level on Eilean Mòr.
The geology consists of a dark breccia of gabbros and dolerites intruding Archaean gneiss. In prehistoric times, the area was covered by ice sheets that spread from Scotland out into the Atlantic Ocean. After the last retreat of the ice circa 20,000 years BP, sea levels were as much as 122 metres (400 ft) lower than at present and it is likely that the existing islands were part of a much larger land mass, although still separated from the Outer Hebrides by many miles of open water. Steadily rising sea levels thereafter would have reduced the land remaining above sea level to its present extent.
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Wikipedia