The Rinns of Islay (Scottish Gaelic: Na Roinn Ìleach; alternative English spelling Rhinns of Islay) is an area on the west of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
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| Location | Orsay, Rinns of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Kilchoman, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| OS grid | NR1634551414 |
| Coordinates | 55°40′23″N 6°30′48″W / 55.6731°N 6.51323°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1825  |
| Built by | Robert Stevenson |
| Construction | masonry tower |
| Automated | 31 March 1998 |
| Height | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern[1][2] |
| Markings | white tower, black lantern, ochre trim |
| Power source | solar power |
| Operator | Northern Lighthouse Board |
| Heritage | category A listed building |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 46 m (151 ft) |
| Intensity | 600,000 candela |
| Range | 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 5s |
| Official name | Rinns of Islay |
| Designated | 25 April 1990 |
| Reference no. | 466[3] |
It is a peninsula that is attached to the main body of the island by a narrow isthmus towards its northern end. The main population centres are Port Charlotte and Portnahaven, based on the A847 that runs along its eastern coast.
It is designated a Special Protection Area due to its importance for a number of breeding and wintering birds, particularly Greenland white-fronted goose and chough. The significance of the area owes much to its wide variety of habitats including bog, moorland, dune grassland, maritime grassland, marsh and extensively-farmed agricultural land.
The Rinns of Islay lighthouse is located on the island of Orsay.
The Rhinns complex, a deformed igneous complex that is considered to form the basement to the Colonsay Group of metasedimentary rocks takes its name from the Rhinns of Islay.
See also
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References
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Scotland: Argyll and Bute". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
- ^ Rinns of Islay Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 20 May 2016
- ^ "Rinns of Islay". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
External links
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- Special Protection Area designation
- Northern Lighthouse Board
- Map sources for Rinns of Islay
55°44′22″N 6°26′19″W / 55.73954°N 6.43872°W
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