Rysa Little

{{Short description|Uninhabited island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox Scottish island

|Image=Rysa Little from Pegal Head - geograph.org.uk - 1498234.jpg

|ImageCaption=Rysa Little viewed from Pegal Head on Hoy

|coordinates = {{coord|58.86|-3.20|display=inline}}

|location_map=Scotland Orkney

|caption=Rysa Little shown within Orkney

|GridReference=ND310976

|celtic name=

|norse name= Hreysi

|meaning of name= Old Norse and English meaning 'little heap of stones'.

|area= {{convert|32|ha|sqmi}}

|area rank=

|highest elevation= {{convert|20|m|ft|0}}

|Population=0

|population rank=

|main settlement=

|island group= Orkney

|local authority=Orkney Islands

|references={{Haswell-Smith}}[http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ Ordnance Survey]

}}

File:Farahouse.jpg. Looking North: Rysa Little with Hoy behind to left; Graemsay with Mainland behind centre and right; Cava to right.]]

Rysa Little, commonly referred to as Rysa, is an uninhabited island in the Orkney archipelago in Scotland. It is approximately {{convert|32|ha|0|abbr=off}} in area, and rises to {{convert|20|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} above sea level. The island’s name is used as a house name at Stromness Primary School, the other houses being Cava, Switha, and Fara.

It is situated in the Scapa Flow just offshore from the much larger island of Hoy and nearby is the islet of Cava. Between Rysa Little and Fara lies Gutter Sound, the scene of the mass-scuttling of the interned German Imperial High Seas Fleet in 1919.

Many of the smaller South Isles of Orkney lost their resident populations during the course of the twentieth century, but Rysa Little has not been inhabited since earlier times.Wenham, Sheena, The South Isles in Omand, Donald (ed.) (2003) The Orkney Book. Edinburgh, Birlinn. Page 208.

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