The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ', ', '), also called North Minch, is a
strait in north-west
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, separating the north-west
Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
and the northern
Inner Hebrides from
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris ( gd, Leòdhas agus na Hearadh, sco, Lewis an Harris), or Lewis with Harris, is a single Scottish island in the Outer Hebrides, divided by mountains. It is the largest island in Scotland and the third largest in the British ...
in the
Outer Hebrides. It was known as ("Scotland's
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...
/firth") in
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...
.
The Lower Minch (), also known as the Little Minch, is the Minch's southern extension, separating
Skye from the lower Outer Hebrides:
North Uist
North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Etymology
In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...
,
Benbecula
Benbecula (; gd, Beinn nam Fadhla or ) is an island of the Outer Hebrides in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Scotland. In the 2011 census, it had a resident population of 1,283 with a sizable percentage of Roman Catholics. It is in a ...
,
South Uist
South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...
,
Barra
Barra (; gd, Barraigh or ; sco, Barra) is an island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and the second southernmost inhabited island there, after the adjacent island of Vatersay to which it is connected by a short causeway. The island is name ...
etc. It opens into the
Sea of the Hebrides
The Sea of the Hebrides ( gd, An Cuan Barrach, ) is a small, partly sheltered section of the North Atlantic Ocean, indirectly off the southern part of the north-west coast of Scotland. To the east are the mainland of Scotland and the northern ...
. The Little Minch is the northern limit of the
Sea of the Hebrides
The Sea of the Hebrides ( gd, An Cuan Barrach, ) is a small, partly sheltered section of the North Atlantic Ocean, indirectly off the southern part of the north-west coast of Scotland. To the east are the mainland of Scotland and the northern ...
.
Geography
The Minch and Lower Minch form part of the
Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
The Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland is a marine area designated by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). It consists of a number of waterbodies between the Scottish mainland, the Outer Hebrides islands, and the coast of I ...
, as defined by the
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters a ...
.
The Minch ranges from wide and is approximately long. It is believed to be the site of the
biggest meteorite ever to hit the British Isles.
The Lower Minch is about wide. In June 2010 Eilidh Macdonald became the first person to swim across it from
Waternish Point on Skye to
Rodel on Harris, in a time of hours.
Navigation
A
traffic separation scheme operates in the Little Minch, with northbound traffic proceeding close to Skye, and southbound close to Harris. Commercial
ferry services across the Minch are operated by
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...
.
Lighthouses
In the south, its entrance is marked by lighthouses at
Barra Head
Barra Head, also known as Berneray ( gd, Beàrnaraigh; sco, Barra Heid), is the southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Within the Outer Hebrides, it forms part of the Barra Isles archipelago. Originally, Barra Head only r ...
,
Ushenish and
Hyskeir
Hyskeir ( gd, Òigh-sgeir) or Heyskeir is a low-lying rocky islet (a skerry) in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The Hyskeir Lighthouse marks the southern entrance to the Minch.
Geography
Hyskeir lies in the southern entrance to the Minch, 10 kil ...
. On Skye, there are lights at
Neist Point
Neist Point ( gd, Rubha na h-Eist) is a viewpoint on the most westerly point of Skye. Neist Point Lighthouse has been located there since 1909.
Geography
Neist Point is the most westerly point on the Duirinish peninsula on the Isle of Skye. It ...
,
Vaternish and
An t-Iasgair
An t-Iasgair (Scottish Gaelic for ''the Fisherman'') is a skerry in the Little Minch, to the north of the Trotternish peninsula of Skye. It lies 1.5 miles north north west of Ru Bornesketaig and is marked by a navigation light. It is the largest a ...
. The Outer Hebrides are marked by
Weavers Point,
Eilean Glas,
Tiumpan Head
Tiumpan Head (Scottish Gaelic:''Rubha an Tiùmpain'' or ''Rudha an Tiùmpain'') is the north-eastern end of the Point peninsula on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Tiumpan Head Lighthouse has marked the western limit of The Min ...
and
Butt of Lewis
The Butt of Lewis ( gd, Rubha Robhanais) is the most northerly point of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The headland, which lies in the North Atlantic, is frequently battered by heavy swells and storms and is marked by the Butt of Lewis Lighthouse. ...
. To the east are
Rubha Réidh,
Stoer Head
Stoer Head (Rubha Stoer in Scots Gaelic) is a point of land north of Lochinver and the township of Stoer in Sutherland, NW Scotland. The lighthouse on the point marks the northern entrance to The Minch
The Minch ( gd, An Cuan Sgitheanach, ...
and
Cape Wrath lighthouses.
Other navigational aids
A buoy marks Eugenie Rock (named after the vessel that grounded there in May 1859) and the nearby Sgeir Graidach. Previously, these hazards were marked by a red-painted beacon on Sgeir Graidach, the foundations of which can still be seen at low tide.
Mythology
The mythological
blue men of the Minch
The blue men of the Minch, also known as storm kelpies ( gd, na fir ghorma ), are mythological creatures inhabiting the stretch of water between the northern Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, looking for sailors to drown and stricken boats t ...
live in the area.
Conservation
The Minch Project is a collaboration of , the
Highland Council and
Scottish Natural Heritage
NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and s ...
that aims to reduce
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
, minimise
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
, minimise
litter
Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups ...
and promote
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
in the Minch, particularly
wildlife tourism
Wildlife tourism is an element of many nations' travel industry centered around observation and interaction with local animal and plant life in their natural habitats. While it can include eco- and animal-friendly tourism, safari hunting and si ...
such as
dolphin watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins ( cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. 2 ...
. Pollution is a particular concern as the Minch is a busy
shipping lane; of shipping pass through the channel each month.
See also
*
Mid-Minch Gaelic
Notes and references
External links
Western Isles local government Minch project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minch
Scottish coast
Straits of Scotland
Landforms of Highland (council area)
Landforms of the Outer Hebrides
European seas