Shillay, Monach Islands
{{About|the Monach Island (Heisgeir)|the island north of Pabbay|Shillay}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
File:Siolaighhut.jpg, used until recently as a fisherman's shelter]]
{{Infobox Scottish island
|coordinates = {{coord|57.53|-7.69|display=inline}}
|location_map=Scotland Outer Hebrides
|caption=Shillay shown within the Outer Hebrides
|GridReference=NF593628
|official_name=Shillay
|celtic name=Siolaigh/Seilaigh
|norse name= Selrey
|meaning of name=Seal Island
or "Herring island", from Norse
|area= 7.4 ha
|area rank=
|highest elevation= {{convert|10|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|Population=0
|population rank=
|main settlement=
|island group=Monach Islands
|local authority=Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
|references=2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland{{Haswell-Smith}}[http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ Ordnance Survey]{{cite web| url=http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesP-Z.pdf| title=Placenames| author=Iain Mac an Tailleir| publisher=Pàrlamaid na h-Alba| accessdate=2007-12-08| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529185220/http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesP-Z.pdf| archivedate=29 May 2008| df=dmy-all}}
}}
{{Infobox lighthouse
| qid = Q3739794
| name = Shillay Lighthouse
Siolaigh
Monach Isles
| image = Shillaylighthouses.jpg
| caption = The old lighthouse was not used between 1942 and 2008
| location = Shillay Isle
Monach Islands
Outer Hebrides
Scotland
United Kingdom
| coordinates = {{coord|57.525894|-7.695055|display=inline}}
| yearbuilt = 1864
| yeardeactivated = 1942-2008
| construction = brick tower
| shape = tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to a 2-storey keeper’s house
| marking = unpainted tower
| height = {{convert|41|m|ft}}
| focalheight = {{convert|47|m|ft}}
| range = {{convert|18|nmi}}
| characteristic = Fl (2) W 15s.
| managingagent = Northern Lighthouse Board {{Cite rowlett|heb|accessdate=2016-05-19}}[http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Monach/ Monach] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120052532/http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Lighthouse/Monach/ |date=20 November 2010 }} Northern Lighthouse Board. Retrieved 19 May 2016
}}
Shillay (Scottish Gaelic: Siolaigh or Seilaigh from the Norse selrey, meaning Seal island) is the westernmost of the Monach Islands (Heisgeir), off North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
Geology and geography
Like most of the other Monach Islands, Shillay has a thin, sandy soil, which has been much troubled by erosion, and which was badly eroded by a huge wave in the 16th century.
Despite Ceann Iar's name, meaning "western headland", Shillay is the westernmost island of the group.
There are several small islets around Shillay, including Eilean Siorraidh, Odarum (to the north) and Raisgeir.
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Lighthouses
The lighthouse at Shillay has an uneven history. The red brick lighthouse was built in 1864 by David & Thomas Stevenson, and was in use until it was closed during the war in 1942 and not lit again in 1948 after hostilities ceased. After the Braer disaster in 1993 in Shetland, a new light was recommended to mark the deep water route west of the Hebrides. A new automated aluminium light was installed in 1997. However it proved inadequate and in 2005 it was decided that it was cheaper to reuse the original lighthouse than to increase the height of the new light. In 2008 the old lighthouse was refurbished and put back into use.{{cite web| url=http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/monach.htm| title=Monach Light| publisher=Northern Lighthouse Board| accessdate=2015-06-21| archive-date=7 August 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807150057/http://www.nlb.org.uk/ourlights/history/monach.htm| url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00y6hym/The_Lighthouse_Stevensons/ |title=BBC iPlayer - the Lighthouse Stevensons |access-date=11 February 2018 |archive-date=26 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826041322/http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00y6hym/The_Lighthouse_Stevensons/ |url-status=dead }}{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}
A stone from the lighthouse has been removed into the church wall at Paible; a keeper had carved into it "Eternity Oh Eternity". Just to the south of Shillay, there is an Eilean Siorraidh ("Island of Eternity"; formerly Eilean Siorruidh) - whether this carving is a reference to this or the solitude of the island is unrecorded.
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See also
{{stack|{{Portal|Scotland|Engineering}}}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nlb.org.uk/LighthouseLibrary/Main/ Northern Lighthouse Board]
{{commons category|Shillay, Monach Islands}}
{{Coord|57|31|39|N|7|41|34|W|display=title|region:GB_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki}}
{{Heisgeir}}
{{Lighthouses of the Northern Lighthouse Board}}
{{Authority control | additional=Q3739794}}
Category:Category B listed lighthouses