![North Channel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/North_Channel.png)
The North Channel (known in
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
as , in
Scots as the ) is the
strait between north-eastern
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and south-western
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 ...
. It begins north of the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
, where the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
ends, and runs north-west into the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
Geography
![Torr Head and Mull of Kintyre in distance](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Torr_Head_and_Mull_of_Kintyre_in_distance._-_geograph.org.uk_-_642733.jpg)
The North Channel connects the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...
with the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
and is part of the marine area officially classified as 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 ...
" 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 ...
(IHO).
The Straits of Moyle ( in
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
and
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
) or Sea of Moyle is the name given to the narrowest expanse of sea in the North Channel between north-eastern
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
(
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
) and south-western highlands 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 ...
(
Mull of Kintyre
The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
). The distance between the two shores is approximately at its closest point, and thus it is possible to see across in clear weather conditions. The straits gave their name to
Moyle District Council
Moyle District Council was a local council in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymoney Borough Council, Coleraine Borough Council and Limavady Borough Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisatio ...
, a local government area in
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, and are famed in Irish
Celtic mythology through their association with the
Children of Lir.
In the 1800s, this strait was sometimes referred to in general terms as the "Irish Channel". In the 19th century,
Alexander Keith Johnston's suggested name St Patrick's Channel had currency, but it was rejected by the
hydrographic department
Hydrographics may refer to:
*Hydrography, the measurement of physical characteristics of waters and marginal land
*Hydrographics (printing), a printing technique for three-dimensional objects
* Hydrographic Department, UK agency for providing hyd ...
.
The narrowest part of the strait is between the
Mull of Kintyre
The Mull of Kintyre is the southwesternmost tip of the Kintyre Peninsula (formerly ''Cantyre'') in southwest Scotland. From here, the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland is visible on a calm and clear day, and a historic lighthouse, the second ...
and Torr Head, where its width is . The deepest part is called
Beaufort's Dyke
Beaufort's Dyke is a natural trench within the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. The dyke is long, wide and deep.
The trench is recorded in 1856 as having been discovered "some years ago" by a Captain Beechey.
Geomorphol ...
.
The North Channel was a favourite haunt of
privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...
s preying on British merchant shipping in wars until the 19th century; in 1778, during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, it was also the site of a
naval duel between American captain
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
's
USS ''Ranger'' and the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's
HMS ''Drake''. It is crossed by many ferry services. In 1953, the channel was the scene of a serious maritime disaster, the sinking of the ferry ''
Princess Victoria''.
Swimming
The
Irish Long Distance Swimming Association
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
(ILDSA) has provided authentication observers for swimmers attempting to cross the approximately span between
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
and the
Mull of Galloway
The Mull of Galloway ( gd, Maol nan Gall, ; ) is the southernmost point of Scotland. It is situated in Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, at the end of the Rhins of Galloway peninsula.
The Mull has one of the last remaining sections of natur ...
. According to the ILDSA, this was first accomplished in 1947 by
Tom Blower
Tom Blower (1914–1955; nicknamed "Torpedo") was a British man who on 27–28 July 1947 became the first to successfully swim the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, completing the feat in 15 hours and 26 minutes. In spite of multiple at ...
. The first two-way crossing was completed by a six-person relay team on 28 July 2015.
In 2020, Emma-Claire Fierce became the first French woman to attempt the swim.
The World Open Water Swimming Association note that the North Channel, which it also refers to parenthetically as the North (Irish) Channel, is part of the
Ocean's Seven series. This is a set of seven long-distance open-water swims considered the marathon swimming equivalent of the
Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.
Fixed connections
In
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
,
Unionist political leaders for decades lobbied the
British government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
to construct a
railway tunnel under the Channel, for a better link between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. In August 2007 the
Centre for Cross-Border Studies proposed the construction of a long rail bridge or tunnel, estimating that it might cost about £3.5 billion. In the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, engineers proposed a rail tunnel between
Stranraer and
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
.
In February 2020, the Prime Minister's Office announced that it had initiated work to examine the feasibility of bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The transport route with the shortest sailing distance is that between
Campbeltown on the
Kintyre peninsula
Kintyre ( gd, Cinn Tìre, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East and West Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately north ...
(about from
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
via minor roads) and
Ballycastle, County Antrim
Ballycastle () is a small seaside town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is on the northeasternmost coastal tip of Ireland, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The harbour hosts the ferry to Rathlin Island, wh ...
(about from
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
). Campbeltown is on the eastern side of the Kintyre peninsula, but the western side is only about from Torr Head coast to coast.
The shortest route between Glasgow and Belfast is the route used by the existing ferry service, that via
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village and civil parish in the historical county of Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway. The parish is about in length and in breadth, covering .
History ...
/
Stranraer (about from Glasgow) and
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
(about from Belfast), a coast-to-coast distance of .
This route would require the
bridge towers to be erected through
Beaufort's Dyke
Beaufort's Dyke is a natural trench within the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. The dyke is long, wide and deep.
The trench is recorded in 1856 as having been discovered "some years ago" by a Captain Beechey.
Geomorphol ...
, a deep trench, heavily contaminated by 'large quantities' of munitions ('small arms, high explosives and incendiary devices')
and nuclear waste that had been dumped until 1950s.
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon said her mind was not closed to the idea but added "if he
he prime ministerhas got £20 bn to build such a bridge going spare at the moment – that could be spent on more important priorities".
See also
*
St George's Channel
References
External links
BBC – Northern Ireland – A Short History(accessed 4 March 2007)
{{Coord, 55, 03, 27, N, 5, 37, 19, W, type:waterbody_scale:2500000, display=title
Bodies of water of the Irish Sea
Straits of the British Isles
Straits of Scotland
Northern Ireland coast
Scottish coast
Landforms of Argyll and Bute
Landforms of County Antrim
Landforms of County Down
Landforms of Dumfries and Galloway
Bodies of water of Northern Ireland
Borders of Scotland