Risga is an uninhabited
island in between
Càrna and
Oronsay, in the centre of
Loch Sunart, about from the north shore, in the council area of
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
, Scotland. Its area is
and its highest elevation is .
In 1950, over 50 pairs of
Lesser black-backed gull
The lesser black-backed gull (''Larus fuscus'') is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especi ...
were recorded. The island is included in the grounds of
Glenborrodale Castle
Glenborrodale () is a coastal community on Loch Sunart in the south of the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Highland area of Scotland.
It gives its name to a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' reserve in the nearby oakwoods.
In May 1746, ...
and is part of
Sunart SSSI. Ross Rock is located about from Risga. Risga has at least 60 crotagans along the east coast, used for fishing. Risga is a rocky island.
History
The name "Risga" is Norse and includes the
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
word for island. In 1920–21 some
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
materials were recovered during the excavation of a kitchen. They are now in the
Hunterian Museum
The Hunterian is a complex of museums located in and operated by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest museum in Scotland. It covers the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery, the Mackintosh House, the Zoology M ...
,
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...
and
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
There is a
shell midden
A midden is an old landfill, dump for domestic waste. It may consist of animal bone, bones, feces, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, Lithic flake, lithics (especially debitage), and other Artifact (archaeology), ...
, a
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...
that is at least , which is visible as a grass-covered mound. The shell heap is on top of a raised beach, similar to those at Oronsay.
References
External links
*
Uninhabited islands of Highland (council area)
{{Highland-geo-stub