Ushant (; br, Eusa, ; french: Ouessant, ) is a French
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An isla ...
at the southwestern end of the
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It belongs to
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
and, in medieval terms,
Léon. In lower tiers of government, it is a
commune in the
Finistère
Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090. department. It is the only place in Brittany, save for Brittany itself, with a
separate name in English.
Geography
Neighbouring islets include Keller Island () and Kadoran () to the north. The channel between Ushant and Keller is called the .
Ushant marks a southern limit of the
Celtic Sea and the southern end to the western
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), ( Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Ka ...
, the northern end being the
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of th ...
, southwest of
Land's End in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. According to definitions of the
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters ...
the island lies outside the English Channel and is in the
Celtic Sea.
The island is a rocky landmass at most , covering .
History
Ushant is famous for its maritime past, both as a fishing community and as a key landmark in the Channel approaches. It is named in the refrain of the
sea shanty "
Spanish Ladies
"Spanish Ladies" ( Roud 687) is a traditional British naval song, describing a voyage from Spain to the Downs from the viewpoint of ratings of the Royal Navy.
Origins
A ballad by the name "Spanish Ladies" was registered in the English Stati ...
":
Several
naval battle
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large la ...
s have been fought near Ushant between the British and French navies.
On 23 July 1815 the captive Emperor
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
– aboard towards his final exile – spent several hours on deck watching Ushant, the last part of France he would see.
During World War II, a force of
British Commandos
The Commandos, also known as the British Commandos, were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from Winston Churchill, for special forces that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe. Initially dra ...
and
US Army Rangers of the
29th Provisional Rangers successfully attacked a German
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, Marine radar, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor v ...
installation on the island.
In March 1978, the oil tanker ''
Amoco Cadiz'' ran aground at
Portsall about from the island, leading to major pollution of the
Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
coast.
According to a repetitive old Breton proverb, ("Who sees Molène sees his pains (or penalty) / who sees Ushant sees his blood / who sees Sein sees his end / who sees Groix sees his cross"). This proverb underlines local points being often deadly to navigate with many rocks, and tidal streams of more than ten
knots
A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines.
Knot may also refer to:
Places
* Knot, Nancowry, a village in India
Archaeology
* Knot of Isis (tyet), symbol of welfare/life.
* Minoan snake goddess figurines#Sacral knot
Arts, entertainme ...
.
A standard start and finish line for traditional all-oceans
circumnavigation
Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.
The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the ...
s is between Ushant and
Lizard Point.
Population
The sole village on the island is Lambaol (Lampaul), which has the mayoral office, school and post office. People also live in the outlying hamlets of Feuteun Vélen, Frugullou, Pen ar Lan, and Porsguen.
The island's usually resident population is less than of that recorded in 1901 and 1931 (and five censuses between these years).
Climate
Under the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
, Ushant features an
oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
:
temperate, fully humid, temperate summer (''Cfb''), with generally cool, rainy winters and temperate, drier summers.
Sights
The
Creac'h lighthouse () is reputedly the most powerful in Europe. is the French system name for Plymouth in the British system of the
Shipping Forecast.
Cultural ties to Scotland
In 2007, Ushant hosted a Scottish book festival and subsequently created their own
tartan
Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...
registered with the
Scottish Register of Tartans
The Scottish Register of Tartans (SRT) is Scotland's official non-ministerial department for the recording and registration of tartan designs, operating since 5 February 2009. As a governmental body, SRT is headquartered at HM General Register H ...
; and in August 2010, the islanders were reported to be seeking to establish cultural links with a
Scottish island
This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
.
Rob Gibson,
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The add ...
for the
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands is an area of Scotland broadly covering the Scottish Highlands, plus Orkney, Shetland and Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).
The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1 ...
welcomed the suggestion.
Transport
Ushant is connected to the French mainland by air and sea. Passenger ferries of the
Penn Ar Bed company operate from
Brest and
Le Conquet
Le Conquet (; br, Konk-Leon) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. This is the westernmost town of mainland France. Only three insular towns—Ouessant, Île-Molène and Ile de Sein—are further west Th ...
year-round, and also from
Camaret in summer, stopping at the island of
Molène en route. The airline
Finistair operates flights on
Cessna 208 planes from
Brest Bretagne Airport.
Fauna
Ouessant sheep form a rare breed, originating here. These are
northern European short-tailed sheep
The Northern European short-tailed sheep are a group of traditional sheep breeds or types found in Northern Europe, mainly in the British Isles, Scandinavia, Greenland and the area around the Baltic. They are thought to be derived from the fi ...
, ubiquitous in northern Europe up to
Roman times, but which now survives only in a few places. Apart from Ushant, these are in remote islands and mountains of
Britain and
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...
and some places around the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
. It is one of the smallest breeds of
domestic sheep. It is usually black or dark brown (a few are white), and it is now kept elsewhere in the world as a
heritage breed.
The isolation of the island has helped the conservation of the European dark bee (''
Apis mellifera mellifera''), unaffected by pollution, pesticides and
Varroa parasites.
In the rest of France, it has been substituted by ''
Apis mellifera ligustica
Apis or APIS may refer to:
*Apis (deity), an ancient Egyptian god
* Apis (Greek mythology), several different figures in Greek mythology
*Apis (city), an ancient seaport town on the northern coast of Africa
** Kom el-Hisn, a different Egyptian cit ...
''. As a side effect, populations of the bee louse, ''
Braula coeca'',
that has elsewhere perished through pesticides can still be found among the island's bee population. The association
is attempting to conserve and increase the numbers of the European dark bee, intending to reintroduce it in Western France.
Ushant and the Molène archipelago support Europe's southernmost colony of
grey seal
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin Halichoerus grypus means "hook-nosed sea pig". It is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" o ...
s. They are mostly at Point Cadoran, on Ushant's north coast, where the strong currents keep the water temperature below 15 degrees Celsius (59 °F), the warmest that the seals can tolerate.
Literary and musical references
Ushant is a minor character of
Herman Melville
Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are '' Moby-Dick'' (1851); '' Typee'' (1846), a ...
's ''
White-Jacket
''White-Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War'' is the fifth book by American writer Herman Melville, first published in London in 1850. The book is based on the author's fourteen months' service in the United States Navy, aboard the frigate USS ' ...
(1850).'' Ushant is highly admired for his beard.
*The island figures in (''The Blood of the Siren'', 1901) by
Anatole Le Braz
Anatole le Braz, the "Bard of Brittany" (2 April 1859 – 20 March 1926), was a Breton poet, folklore collector and translator. He was highly regarded amongst both European and American scholars, and known for his warmth and charm.
Biography
Le B ...
.
*It is mentioned in the sea shanty "Spanish Ladies".
*
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)'' The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
mentions it in his poem ''Anchor Song''.
*
Charles Tournemire's Symphony No. 2, completed in 1909, was inspired by and named for the island.
*The 1910 novel by German author
Bernhard Kellermann
Bernhard Kellermann (4 March 1879, Fürth, Kingdom of Bavaria – 17 October 1951) was a German author and poet.
Life
Bernhard Kellermann enrolled in 1899 at Technical University Munich initially in general studies, but later focused on Ge ...
takes place on the island. Features such as Phare du Creach and Port du Stiff are highly defined. The main character stays at the la Villa des tempêtes, in ruins today.
*The secret of the seas (), is a 1923 novel by André Savignon set on Ushant.
*"Lord Ushant" is the title given the heir to the Duchy of Tintagel (Cornwall) in Edith Wharton's ''The Buccaneers'' (1938).
*Ushant is mentioned in
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalit ...
's diaries, in passing.
*A ship from Ushant is mentioned in the WWII Brest destruction commemorative ode ''Barbara'' by French poet
Jacques Prévert
Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the poetic realist moveme ...
.
*''Ushant'' is the autobiography of the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
poet and novelist
Conrad Aiken, published in 1952.
*Ushant is one of the many French islands referenced in
Laurent Voulzy's
Belle-Île-en-Mer, Marie-Galante , a major hit in France since its release in 1986.
*Ushant appears over and over in works of Patrick O'Brian as to the whereabouts and course of ships in his book series.
*Ushant occasionally appears as a landfall in
C. S. Forester's novels about
Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional officer in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, the protagonist of a series of novels and stories by C. S. Forester. He later became the subject of films, radio and television programmes, an ...
.
*Mystery book ''Act of Mercy'' by Peter Tremayne is set in 666 AD Ushant and elsewhere.
*Ushant is the setting of the 2004 French film (English title: ''The Light'') directed by
Philippe Lioret.
*Father Truitard, a character in Bruce Chatwin's ''The Viceroy of Ouidah'', spent "years communing with the waves and petrels on the island of Ushant".
*It is mentioned in
Dmitry Lukhmanov
Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek language, Greek De ...
's narrative ''20000 miles under sail''.
*
Yann Tiersen made the album ''Eusa'' in 2016. Each track is named after a location on the island.
*A trip to the island forms an important plot point in
Éric Rohmer
Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher.
Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...
's 1996 film ''
A Summer's Tale
''A Summer's Tale'' (french: Conte d'été) is a 1996 French romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Éric Rohmer. It is the third film in his ''Contes des quatre saisons'' (''Tales of the Four Seasons'') series, which also includes '' ...
''.
Book awards
The island awards annual literary prizes to worldwide writers.
See also
*
Battle of Ushant (disambiguation)
*
Communes of the Finistère department
*
Parc naturel régional d'Armorique
*
References
External links
*
Ushant communal council website*
Cultural Heritage*
ttp://www.jsward.com/shanty/SpanishLadies/shay.html Traditional, "Spanish Ladies", credited to ''Iron Men & Wooden Ships'', by Frank Shay
Ile d'Ouessant - Photo galleryStorm Island– article about the island by William Langewiesche in the December 2001 issue of ''The Atlantic''
*
{{Authority control
Communes of Finistère
Islands of Brittany
Islands of the North Atlantic Ocean