Longa Island (

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 ...

: ''Longa'') is a small uninhabited island at the mouth of

Loch Gairloch Loch Gairloch is a sea loch on the North West coast of Highland, Scotland. In Scottish Gaelic it is ''an Geàrr Loch'' meaning 'the short loch'. Around long by wide, it leads west to the Little Minch. The B8021 and B8056 run around its north ...

, on the west coast of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Longa is nearly in length with an area of and a maximum elevation of above sea level.

Geology

The island is mainly

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

covered with grass and heather.

Economy

In the early nineteenth century, there was a small fishing community, but by the late nineteenth century, the island had become deserted. Today only sheep graze the island in the summer months. File:Longaview.jpg, Longa Island, across the Caolas Beag File:Longashags.jpg, Shags on Sron na Caillich File:Longacave.jpg, Unmapped Sea Cave Below An Raon File:Longabeach.jpg, Camus na Rainich

Notes and references

Former populated places in Scotland Uninhabited islands of Highland (council area) {{highland-geo-stub