Pabay is a
Scottish island
This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
just off the coast 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 b ...
. The name Pabay is derived from an old Norse word meaning "priest's isle" and there are the remains of a 13th-century chapel.
Geography
Pabay is an island in the
Inner Sound of Skye, lying north of
Broadford. It lies south of
Longay and east of the larger
Scalpay.
Like most others of the name, is a low grassy island. It is in size, diamond-shaped and predominantly flat. The highest point is above sea level, with cliffs on the North and East shores.
The island is formed of fossil-containing
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, with some
mica
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...
ceous
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...
, named
Pabba Shale.
It forms a flat plateau with cliffs on the North and East shores. The surrounding low reefs encroach on its shores and double the area at low water.
[
The island gives its name to a group of Jurassic Sedimentary rocks which are seen across the Inner Hebredian area-Pabba Shales. These were laid down at the bottom of a muddy sea 190 million years ago. Much later (about 60 million years ago) volcanicity associated with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean led to the intrusion of molten rock along fractures running NNW-SSE across the island. The resulting dykes now stand proud as solid sheets resembling well built masonry and protecting the island from further erosion.
]
History
Occupation of the island, in the form of midden material and lithics found in two locations, can be traced back to the prehistoric period, perhaps as far back as the Mesolithic. However, there is little evidence for settlement to bridge the gap between the Mesolithic and the sixteenth century. From this period onwards, the island is shown on maps and charts, being first named on Dutch cartographer Willem Blaeu's map of 1654.
Dean Monro in 1549 gave the following description:At the shore of Skye foresaid, lies an isle called Pabay, near one mile in length, full of woods, good for fishing, and a main shelter for thieves and cut-throats, it pertains to Mackinnon
McKinnon, MacKinnon or Mackinnon is a Scottish surname. (Gaelic: ''Mac Fhionghain''),
Notable people with this surname include:
* Allan McKinnon, P.C., M.C., C.D. (1917–1990), Canadian politician, MP – Victoria 1972-1988
* Alexander "Alex" ...
.
In the 18th century, Scottish author 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 ...
provided the following description of the island in his seminal work ''A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland'':
"A League further North lies the Isle Pabhay, about two Miles in Circumference, it excels in Pasturage, the Cows in it afford near double the Milk that they yield in Skie. In the Dog Days there is a big Flye in this Isle, which infests the Cows, makes them run up and down, discomposes them exceedingly, and hinders their Feeding, insomuch that they must be brought out of the Isle, to the Isle of Skie ; this Isle affords abundance of Lobsters, Limpets, Wilks, Crabs, and ordinary Sea Plants""
Pabay was described by Hugh Miller, the early Victorian and missionary as "the only piece of flat, level England in the entire landscape" (of Skye).
Ruins of a chapel exist on the island. It is not certain to what saint the church was dedicated. Of it nothing exists but the foundations its external length was only . There is difficulty in determining the precise limits of the burying-ground, but it seems to have included two other buildings, the most preserved of which is a curious semicircular structure rudely and somewhat irregularly formed of uncemented stones of large size, and measuring from north to south, and from east to west. In local speech it is the Altar, but whether of Christian or Pagan dedication, no one presumes to know. In the centre of it is an irregular circle of stones, smaller than those without, and on the south the enclosing wall of the outer building is formed lengthways of two large oblong blocks, placed a little asunder at the middle so as to leave an entrance-way between.
There is now a single occupied farm on the west side of the island, which has been in existence since at least the 1860s. The jetty, which first appears on the OS Second edition map (1904), lies at the south-western corner of the island; it is also possible to anchor off this point, while the beacon Sgeir Gobhlach appears on the First edition map (1882). A cluster of roofed and unroofed buildings is shown at the head of the jetty on the OS First edition map (1882), while a sheep pen is depicted on the current edition in this location.
It issues its own postage stamps.[
]
Flora and Fauna
Pabay consists of heath, dry grassland, herb marsh, salt marsh, woodland remnants and of newly planted deciduous and coniferous trees, containing 17 different species. There are 32 different species of wild flowers, 49 different herbs, 40 different grasses, sedges, ferns and rushes. There are also numerous resident otters, seals, 32 breeding bird species and 72 non-breeding birds. There is also a large rabbit population and a smaller population of shrews.
Art
"Cricket on Pabay" is a painting by Elizabeth Edenborough.
Stamps
Pabay has issued private carriage labels since at least the 1960s.Retrieved 23 May 2020.
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Images
File:Pabay.jpg
File:Shell Beach Pabay - geograph.org.uk - 919910.jpg
File:The Isle of Pabay jetty and dock - geograph.org.uk - 173877.jpg
File:The track down past the back of Pabay House. - geograph.org.uk - 173887.jpg
See also
* List of islands of Scotland
This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...
References
External links
Pabay.org
{{Hebrides (uninhabited)
Uninhabited islands of Highland (council area)
Skye and Lochalsh
Clan Mackinnon