Bac Beag is a Scottish island, one of the

Treshnish Isles The Treshnish Isles are an archipelago of small islands and skerries, lying west of the Isle of Mull, in Scotland. They are part of the Inner Hebrides. Trips to the Treshnish Isles operate from Ulva Ferry, Tobermory, Ardnamurchan and Tiree. Geo ...

in the

Inner Hebrides The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...

Origin of name

The

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...

name has several possible interpretations. The meaning of ''Beag'' clearly means “small” (as opposed to

Bac Mòr Bac Mòr is a Scottish island, one of the Treshnish Isles, sometimes referred to as The Dutchman's Cap in English because of its shape. Origin of name The Gaelic name has more than one possible interpretation. Although ''Mòr'' clearly means "lar ...

, its larger sister), but the word ''Bac'' can mean either a "bank", or an "obstacle" or "hindrance".

Geography

Bac Beag, along with its sister island, Bac Mor, lies south of Lunga, and is at the south-western end of the Treshnish Isles’ chain. In contrast to Bac Mòr, Bac Beag is low-lying and fairly flat. It is of volcanic origin.

Wildlife

Like the other Treshnish Isles, Bac Beag is uninhabited and is owned by a charity, the

Hebridean Trust The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebri ...

. The Treshnish Isles are designated a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

and a

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...

due to their importance for breeding seabirds.

References

{{Authority control Treshnish Isles Uninhabited islands of Argyll and Bute