South Ascrib is an island in

Loch Snizort Loch Snizort is a sea loch in the northwest of the Isle of Skye between the Waternish and Trotternish peninsulas. It is fed by the River Snizort, originating in the hills east of Bracadale. The mouth of Loch Snizort gives access to the lower ...

between the

Waternish Waternish or Vaternish ( gd, Bhàtairnis) is a peninsula approximately long on the island of Skye, Scotland, situated between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort in the northwest of the island, and originally inhabited and owned by Clan MacNeacail/Ma ...

and

Trotternish Trotternish or Tròndairnis (Scottish Gaelic) is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. Its most northerly point, Rubha Hùinis, is the most northerly point of Skye. One of the peninsula's better-known features is the Tro ...

peninsulas on the northern coasts of the island of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

in Scotland.

At low tide, South Ascrib extends over roughly , and its highest point is above sea level. At high tide, South Ascrib becomes several smaller land masses cut off from one another (the northernmost one is Eilean Garave), and their combined area is about . Other islands in the same group as South Ascrib are Eilean Creagach, Eilean Iosal, Sgeir à Chapuill and Sgeir à Chuin. The

skerry A skerry is a small rocky island, or islet, usually too small for human habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low stack (geology), sea stack. A skerry may have vegetative life such as moss and small, hardy ...

of Scalp Rock lies just west of South Ascrib. In 1703,

Martin Martin Martin Martin (Scottish Gaelic: Màrtainn MacGilleMhàrtainn) (-9 October 1718) was a Scottish writer best known for his work '' A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland'' (1703; second edition 1716). This book is particularly noted for i ...

wrote: "About 5 leagues to the south-west from Tulm lies the island Ascrib, which is divided into several parts by the sea; it is about two miles in compass, and affords very good pasturage; all kinds of fish abound in the neighbouring sea. On the south-west side of the isle Ascrib, at the distance of two leagues, lie the two small isles of Timan, directly in the mouth of Loch Arnizort; they are only fit for pasturage." There are indications of an underground monk's cell on the island dating from the 18th century. South Ascrib has been designated as part of a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

, owing to its significant breeding colonies of the

common seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

. About 600 of these seals reside there, which is about 35% of this seal's breeding population in the area of Skye, and about 1% of its population in the entire European Union.

Puffin Puffins are any of three species of small alcids ( auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in c ...

also breed in burrows on the Ascribs."Birds and Bird Watching on the Isle of Skye"
birdsofbritain.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2009. In 1985, the Ascribs were purchased by Baron Palumbo. At the time, he said he intended to build an underground house on South Ascrib, but he ended up building a structure of traditional design. The islands were offered for sale again in 1996.

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External links

{{coord, 57.58981, N, 6.51143, W, region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(NG305645), display=title Landforms of the Isle of Skye Uninhabited islands of Highland (council area)