Isle of Raasay
| Gaelic name | Ratharsair |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [rˠa.arˠs̪əɾʲ] |
| Norse name | Raa-s-oy or Ross-oy, Rásey or Hrossey |
| Meaning of name | Old Norse for "roe deer island" or possibly "horse island" |
| Location | |
 Raasay
Raasay shown within the Skye area
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| OS grid reference | NG579395 |
| Coordinates | 57°24′N 6°02′W / 57.400°N 6.033°WCoordinates: 57°24′N 6°02′W / 57.400°N 6.033°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Skye |
| Area | 6,231 hectares (24.1 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 19 |
| Highest elevation | Dùn Caan 444 metres (1,457 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Highland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 161 |
| Population rank | 38 |
| Population density | 2.5 people/km2 |
| Largest settlement | Inverarish |
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| References | |
Raasay (Scottish Gaelic: Ratharsair) is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance.
Traditionally the home of Clan MacSween, the island was ruled by the MacLeods from the 15th to the 19th century. Subsequently, a series of private landlords held title to the island, which is now largely in public ownership. Raasay House, which was visited by James Boswell and Samuel Johnson in 1773, is now an outdoor activity centre. Raasay means "Isle of the Roe Deer" and is home to an endemic subspecies of bank vole. The current Chief of the Island is Roderick John Macleod of Raasay.
About 14 miles (23 km) north to south and 3 miles (4.8 km) east to west (at its widest), Raasay's terrain is varied. The highest point at 443 metres (1,453 ft) is Dùn Caan, an unusual, flat-topped peak. The island of Rona lies just off the north coast and the tidal islets of Eilean Fladday and Eilean Tigh are to the northwest. Other smaller surrounding islands are Eilean Aird nan Gobhar, Eilean an Inbhire, Holoman Island, Manish Island, Fraoch Eilean, Glas Eilean, Griana-sgeir and Eilean an Fhraoich. The main village of Inverarish is near the southwest coast.
Geologically interesting, the island is visited by many students engaged in mapping projects. The south is mainly Torridonian sandstone and shale; the north is grey-banded Archaean Lewisian gneiss and granulite. There are also smaller outcrops of Jurassic shales and sandstones occasionally interspersed with limestone. The related ironstone beds contain low grade oolitic siderite and chamosite ores which were worked commercially in the early 20th century. Remaining reserves are estimated at 10 million tonnes. The seas to the east and west are very deep, large troughs having been created by the Skye icecap in the .
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