Lamb, sometimes called Lamb Island or The Lamb, is a small uninhabited island measuring approximately , between the islands of
Fidra and
Craigleith in the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is a firth in Scotland, an inlet of the North Sea that separates Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Further inland, it becomes the estuary of the River Forth and several other rivers.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate ...
, off the east coast of
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
The Lamb is flanked by two "sheep dogs", North and South Dog Islands,
which are basically small
skerries. Like the other
Islands of the Forth off
North Berwick
North Berwick (; ) is a seaside resort, seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holi ...
, the Lamb is a result of volcanic activity millions of years ago.
Access
The Lamb can be reached by canoes and small boats from
North Berwick
North Berwick (; ) is a seaside resort, seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holi ...
, although there are no landing facilities and little to attract visitors when compared to
Fidra island or the
Bass Rock.
Wildlife
Following a two-year operation involving 35 visits with canoes and infra-red cameras, a single invasive
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...
was removed from the island in 2022.
Ownership
Lamb island was historically part of the
Scottish feudal barony of Dirleton.
The Lamb, along with North and South Dog Islands, was previously owned by Camilo Agasim-Pereira, Baron of Dirleton and Fulwood.
In 2009, the islands were sold for £30,000 to
Uri Geller, who stated that he believes that it is a hiding place for
ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...
ian treasure, In mid-2022, Geller sought to declare Lamb as "Republic of Lamb", a
micronation
A micronation is a polity, political entity whose representatives claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by any sovereign state. Micronations are classified separately from list o ...
with its own
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
.
Geller also became chairman of the North Berwick Amateurs FC, designated as Lamb's national football team.
Footnotes
External links
Illustrated report of a visit to the island
Islands of the Forth
Landforms of East Lothian
Uninhabited islands of Scotland
North Berwick
Micronations in Scotland
{{EastLothian-geo-stub