Rockall () is an uninhabitable granite

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...

situated in the North

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 ...

. The

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

claims that Rockall lies within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its territory, but this claim is not recognised by

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It and the nearby

skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland * Skerries, County Armagh, a townland in County Armagh * Skerry, County Antrim, a ...

Hasselwood Rock Hasselwood Rock is a skerry adjacent to Rockall in the North Atlantic. Position and characteristics The upper part of Hasselwood Rock is the destroyed cone of an extinct volcano, some north of the larger outcrop of Rockall.G. S. Holland and R. ...

and

Helen's Reef Helen's Reef is a series of skerries in the North Atlantic, northeast of the larger islet of Rockall and outcrop of Hasselwood Rock, within the United Kingdom's exclusive economic zone. The skerries are covered at high tide or in rough seas, ...

are the only emergent parts of the

Rockall Plateau The Rockall Trough ( gd, Clais Sgeir Rocail) is a deep-water bathymetric feature to the northwest of Scotland and Ireland, running roughly from southwest to northeast, flanked on the north by the Rockall Plateau and to the south by the Porcupi ...

. The rock was formed by

magmatism Magmatism is the emplacement of magma within and at the surface of the outer layers of a terrestrial planet, which solidifies as igneous rocks. It does so through magmatic activity or igneous activity, the production, intrusion and extrusion of ...

as part of the

North Atlantic Igneous Province The North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) is a large igneous province in the North Atlantic, centered on Iceland. In the Paleogene, the province formed the Thulean Plateau, a large basaltic lava plain, which extended over at least in area and in ...

during the

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

. Rockall's approximate distances from the closest islands in each direction are as follows: It is west of

Soay Soay (pronounced "soy") is the name of several Scottish islands. It is Sòdhaigh (sometimes anglicised "Soaigh") in Scottish Gaelic, and comes from the Old Norse ''so-ey'' meaning "island of sheep". It may refer to: * Soay, Inner Hebrides off south ...

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 ...

; northwest of

Tory Island Tory Island, or simply Tory (officially known by its Irish name ''Toraigh''),Toraigh/Tory Island

; and south of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. The nearest permanently inhabited place is

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 ...

, an island in the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

of Scotland, to the east. The United Kingdom claimed Rockall in 1955 and incorporated it as a part of Scotland in 1972. The UK does not make a claim to extended EEZ based on Rockall, as it has ratified the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. , 167 c ...

(UNCLOS), which says that "rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf". However, such features are entitled to a

territorial sea The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potenti ...

extending . Ireland's position is that Rockall does not even generate a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea for the United Kingdom owing to the UK's uncertain title to Rockall. Ireland does not recognize the UK's claim, although it has never sought to claim sovereignty of Rockall for itself. The consistent position of successive

Irish government The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

s has been that Rockall and similar rocks and

have no significance for establishing legal claims to mineral rights in the adjacent seabed or to fishing rights in the surrounding seas.

Etymology

The origin and meaning of the islet's name ''Rockall'' is uncertain. The

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 ...

name for the islet, , may derive from an

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

name that may contain the element , meaning 'mountain'. It has also been suggested that the name is from the Norse , meaning 'foaming sea', and , meaning 'bald head'—a word which appears in other placenames in Scandinavian-speaking areas. Another idea is that it derives from the Gaelic , meaning '

skerry A skerry is a small rocky island, or islet, usually too small for human habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack. A skerry may have vegetative life such as moss and small, hardy grasses. They a ...

of roaring' or 'sea rock of roaring' (although can also be translated as 'tearing' or 'ripping'). The Dutch mapmakers

Petrus Plancius Petrus Plancius (; 1552 – 15 May 1622) was a Dutch-Flemish astronomer, cartographer and clergyman. He was born as Pieter Platevoet in Dranouter, now in Heuvelland, West Flanders. He studied theology in Germany and England. At the age of 24 he ...

and , show an island called ''Rookol'' northwest of Ireland on their ''Map of New France and the Northern Atlantic Ocean'' (Amsterdam, ). The first literary reference to the island, which is called ''Rokol'', is found in

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 ...

's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland'', published in 1703. This book gives an account of a voyage to the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

of St Kilda, and Martin states: "... and from it lies Rokol, a small rock to the westward of St Kilda; the inhabitants of this place call it '' Rokabarra''." The name is also used in Scottish Gaelic folklore for a mythical rock which is supposed to appear three times, its last appearance being at the end of the world: "". ('When Rocabarra returns, the world will likely come to be destroyed'). Rockall's name has also been used in

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...

; one story describes how legendary giant

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of ...

(Finn McCool) scooped up a chunk of Ireland to fling at a Scottish rival. It instead missed and landed in 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 ...

– the pebble left behind formed Rockall, while the clump became 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 ...

and the void left behind filled with water and eventually became

Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake in the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. It has a surface area of and supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's water. Its main inflows come ...

History

The rock has been noted in written records since the late 16th century. In the 20th century, its location became relevant due to potential oil and fishing rights that might accrue to a nation recognized as having a legitimate claim to it. In 1955 the British landed on Rockall and claimed it for the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom formally annexed the islet in 1972. According to Ian Mitchell, Rockall was '' terra nullius'' (owned by no one) until the 1955 British claim was made. Rockall gives its name to one of the sea areas named in the shipping forecast provided by the British Meteorological Office. Rockall has been a point of interest for adventurers and

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communic ...

operators, who have variously landed on or briefly occupied the islet. Fewer than 20 individuals have ever been confirmed to have landed on Rockall, and the longest known continuous occupation is 45 days (achieved in 2014 by a solo person). In a House of Commons debate in 1971, William Ross, Labour MP for Kilmarnock, said: "More people have landed on the moon than have landed on Rockall" (however only twelve people have landed on the moon, so while possibly true at the time, it is no longer correct.)

Recorded visits to Rockall

Rockall Basil Hall landing from HMS Endymion 1811

The earliest recorded date of landing on the island is often given as 8 July 1810, when a

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 ...

officer named Basil Hall led a small landing party from the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

to the summit. However, research by James Fisher (see below), in the log of ''Endymion'' and elsewhere, indicates that the actual date for this first landing was on Sunday 8 September 1811. The landing party left ''Endymion'' for the rock by boat. Whilst there, ''Endymion'', which was taking depth measurements around Rockall, lost visual contact with the rock as a haze descended. The ship drifted away, leaving the landing party stranded. The expedition made a brief attempt to return to the ship, but could not find the frigate in the haze, and soon gave up and returned to Rockall. After the haze became a fog, the lookout sent to the top of Rockall spotted the ship again, but it turned away from Rockall before the expedition in their boats reached it. Finally, just before sunset, the frigate was again spotted from the top of Rockall, and the expedition was able to get back on board. The crew of ''Endymion'' reported that they had been searching for five or six hours, firing their cannon every ten minutes. Hall related this experience and other adventures in a book entitled ''Fragment of Voyages and Travels Including Anecdotes of a Naval Life''. The next landing was by a Mr Johns of HMS ''Porcupine'' whilst the ship was on a mission, (between June and August 1862), to make a survey of the sea bed prior to the laying of a

transatlantic telegraph cable Transatlantic telegraph cables were undersea cables running under the Atlantic Ocean for telegraph communications. Telegraphy is now an obsolete form of communication, and the cables have long since been decommissioned, but telephone and data a ...

. Johns managed to gain foothold on the island, but failed to reach the summit. Rockall Union flag hoisted 1955

On 18 September 1955, Rockall was

annexed Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

by the British Crown when Lieutenant-Commander Desmond Scott RN,

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

Brian Peel RM, Corporal AA Fraser RM, and James Fisher (a civilian naturalist and former Royal Marine), were winched onto the island by a

Royal Navy helicopter The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

from (coincidentally named after the man who first charted the island). The annexation of Rockall was announced by the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral * Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings *Admiralty, Tr ...

on 21 September 1955. The expedition team cemented in a brass plaque on Hall's Ledge and hoisted the Union Flag to stake the UK's claim. The inscription on the plaque read: It was the final territorial expansion of the British empire. The initial incentive for the annexation was the test-firing of the UK's first guided

nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...

, the American-made

Corporal missile The MGM-5 Corporal missile was a nuclear-armed tactical surface-to-surface missile. It was the first guided weapon authorized by the United States to carry a nuclear warhead. A guided tactical ballistic missile, the Corporal could deliver either ...

. The missile was to be launched from South Uist and sent over the North Atlantic. The

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

was concerned that the unclaimed island would provide an opportunity for the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

to spy on the test. Consequently, in April 1955 an order was issued to the Admiralty to seize the island and declare UK sovereignty, lest it become an outpost for foreign observers. On 7 November 1955, J. Abrach Mackay, a member of the Clan Mackay, made a protest about the annexation; the 84-year-old local councillor declared: "My old father, God rest his soul, claimed that island for the Clan of Mackay in 1846 and I now demand that the Admiralty hand it back. It's no' theirs'." The British Government ignored the protests, which were soon forgotten. In 1971, Captain T R Kirkpatrick RE led the landing party on a government expedition named "Operation Top Hat" that was mounted from '' RFA Engadine'' to establish that the rock was part of the United Kingdom and to prepare the islet for the installation of a light beacon. The landing party included Royal Engineers, Royal Marines and civilian members from the Institute of Geological Sciences in London. The party was landed by winch line from the Wessex 5 helicopters of the Royal Naval Air Services Commando Headquarters Squadron, commanded by Lt Cmdr Neil Foster RN. As well as collecting samples of the aegerine granite, rockallite, for later analysis in London, the top of the rock was blown off using a newly developed blasting technique, Precision Pre-Splitting. This created a level area that was drilled to take the anchorages for the light beacon that was installed the following year. Two phosphor bronze plates were chased into the wall above Hall's Ledge, each secured by four 80-tonne rock-anchor bolts; there was no evidence of the brass plate installed in 1955. Establishing that the rock is part of the United Kingdom and its development as a light beacon facilitated the incorporation of the island into the District of Harris in the County of Inverness in the Island of Rockall Act 1972 and reinforced the UK Government's position with regard to seabed rights in the area. In 1978, eight members of the

Dangerous Sports Club The Dangerous Sports Club, a group of adventurers and extreme sports pioneers based in Oxford and London, England, were active from the late 1970s for about ten years, during which they developed modern bungee jumping and experimented with a vari ...

, including David Kirke, one of its founders, held a cocktail party on the island, allegedly leaving with the plaque. Former

SAS SAS or Sas may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers * ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series * Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...

member and survival expert Tom McClean lived on the island from 26 May 1985 to 4 July 1985 to affirm the UK's claim to the islet. In 1997, the environmentalist organisation

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

occupied the islet for a short time, calling it Waveland, to protest against oil exploration. Greenpeace declared the island to be a "new Global State" (as a spoof micronation) and offered citizenship to anyone willing to take their pledge of allegiance. The British Government's response was to state that "Rockall is British territory. It is part of Scotland and anyone is free to go there and can stay as long as they please" and otherwise ignore them. During his one night on Rockall, Greenpeace protester and ''Guardian'' journalist John Vidal unscrewed the 1955 plaque and re-fixed it back-to-front. Micronation continued after leaving the island until 1999. In June 2005 the first

(ham radio) activation of Rockall took place when the club station MS0IRC/P was set up and operated for a few hours on HF frequencies before they had to close down due to approaching bad weather. The IOTA number EU-189 was issued to Rockall as a result of this activation. In 2010, it was revealed that the plaque had gone missing. An Englishman, Andy Strangeway, announced his intention to land on the island and affix a replacement plaque in June 2010. The

Western Isles Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (, for, , Scottish Gaelic, Council of the Western Isles) is the local government council for ''Na h-Eileanan Siar'' (the Outer Hebrides) council area of Scotland.

have approved planning permission for the plaque. The 2010 expedition was cancelled, but Strangeway still intends to replace the plaque. In October 2011 a group of

(ham radio) operators from Belgium travelled by ship to Rockall. Several of them climbed up the rocks and set up a radio station for some hours. They stayed overnight on top of the island. Radio contacts to all over the world were made using HF frequencies under the call sign "MM0RAI/P". In 2013 an occupation of the island by explorer Nick Hancock to raise money for the charity

Help for Heroes Help for Heroes (H4H) is a British charity which provides lifelong recovery support to British Armed Forces service personnel who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty, and to their families, originally only since 11 September 2001, th ...

was planned. The challenge was to land on Rockall and survive solo for 60 days. On 31 May 2013, Hancock, and a TV crew from BBC's ''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...

'', sailed to the islet aboard ''Orca III'', and he made his first unsuccessful attempt to land on the islet. The weather conditions at the time "were not favourable" according to a Maritime and Coastguard Agency official. Subsequently, Hancock postponed his challenge until 2014. On 5 June 2014 Hancock landed on Rockall to begin his 60-day survival. Despite being forced to cut his 60-day goal short after losing supplies in a storm, Hancock did remain on the island for 45 days, beating McClean's occupancy record by five days. The "Round Rockall" sailing race, sponsored by Galway Bay Sailing Club, runs from Galway, Ireland, around Rockall and back. It was held in 2012 to coincide with the finish of the 2011–12 Volvo Ocean Race around the world. The 2015–2016 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race race 12 from New York City, New York to Derry was extended around Rockall despite previous promises to crew from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston that this would not happen again after the race to Danang. In 2017, the Safehaven Marine team led by Frank Kowalski set a world record for the Long Way Round Circumnavigation of Ireland via Rockall island. The Baracuda-style naval patrol, search and rescue vessel, ''Thunder Child'', completed the route in 34 hours, 1 minute, and 47 seconds. Set in an anti-clockwise direction, the new record – the first of its kind – is now subject to ratification by Irish Sailing and the Union Internationale Motonautique, the world governing board for all powerboat activity. During Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee celebrations in June 2022, Dr. Chris Grieco and Campbell Cameron had intended to live on the rock for one week to raise £1 million for the Children's Hospice South West and The

charity. The trip was also being supported by Nick Hancock, who is the world record holder for occupation of the Rock. The attempt at Rockall was cancelled due to the unavailability of a vessel. A new team including Campbell Cameron VR RNR FRGS and Chris Thrall, a former Royal Marine Commando, is planned to go ahead in June 2023, with the goal of beating the world record currently held by Nick Hancock FRGS.

Geography

Rockall is one of the few pinnacles of the surrounding

; it is located west of the uninhabited islet of

, St Kilda, Scotland, and northwest of

Tory Island Tory Island, or simply Tory (officially known by its Irish name ''Toraigh''),Toraigh/Tory Island

Its location was precisely determined by Nick Hancock during his 2014 expedition. The surrounding elevated seabed is called the Rockall Bank, lying directly south from an area known as the Rockall Plateau. It is separated from the

by the Rockall Bank and Trough, Rockall Trough, itself located within the Rockall Basin (also known as the "Hatton Rockall Basin"). In 1956 the British scientist James Fisher referred to the island as "the most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world". The neighbouring

and several other pinnacles of the surrounding

are smaller, at half the size of Rockall or less, and equally remote, but those formations are legally not islands or points on land, as they are often submerged completely, only revealed momentarily above certain types of ocean surface waves. Rockall is about wide and long at its base and rises sheer to a height of . It is often washed over by large storm waves, particularly in winter. There is a small ledge of , known as Hall's Ledge, from the summit on the rock's western face. It is the only named geographical location on the rock. Rockall wave March 1943

The nearest point on land from Rockall is , east at the uninhabited Scottish island of

in the St Kilda archipelago. The nearest inhabited area lies east at Hirta, the largest island in the St. Kilda group, which is populated intermittently at a single military base. The nearest permanently inhabited settlement is west of the headland of Aird an Rùnair, near the crofting township of Hogha Gearraidh on the island of

at . North Uist is part of ''Outer Hebrides, Na h-Eileanan Siar'' council areas of Scotland, council area of Scotland. The exact position of Rockall and the size and shape of the Rockall Bank was first charted in 1831 by Captain Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal, A. T. E. Vidal, a

surveyor. The first scientific expedition to Rockall was led by Miller Christy in 1896 when the Royal Irish Academy sponsored a study of the flora and fauna. They chartered the ''Granuaile''. A detailed underwater mapping of the area around Rockall undertaken in 2011–2012 by Marine Scotland showed that Rockall itself is a minor pinnacle, whilst Helen's Reef extends in a sweeping arc of fissures and ridges to the north-west of the islet. Between the islet and Helen's Reef is a deeper trench much used by squid fishermen. Rockall is located in the pathway of the warming and moderating Gulf Stream. Although the rock does not sustain any weather station, the isolated nature of the setting dictates an extremely maritime climate without heat or cold extremes.

Geology

Rockall is made of a type of peralkaline granite that is relatively rich in sodium and potassium. Within this granite are darker bands richer in iron because they contain two iron-sodium silicate minerals called aegirine and riebeckite. The darker bands are a type of granite that geologists have named "rockallite", although use of this term is now discouraged. In 1975, a mineral new to science was discovered in a rock sample from Rockall. The mineral is called bazirite, named after the chemical elements barium and zirconium. Bazirite has the chemical composition BaZrSi₃O₉. Rockall forms part of the deeply eroded Rockall Igneous Centre that was formed as part of the

. It was formed approximately 52 ± 8 million years ago based on rubidium–strontium dating, as part of the breakup of Laurasia. Greenland and Europe separated and the northeast Atlantic Ocean was formed between them, eventually leaving Rockall as an isolated islet. The RV Celtic Explorer, RV ''Celtic Explorer'' surveyed the Rockall Bank in 2003. The Irish Light Vessel ''Granuaile'' (the same name as the steamer on the Royal Irish Academy, RIA 1896 botany survey) was chartered by the Geological Survey of Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, to conduct a seismic survey of the Rockall Bank and the Hatton Bank in July 2004, as part of the Irish National Seabed Survey.

Ecology

The island's only permanent macro-organism inhabitants are common periwinkles and other marine molluscs. Small numbers of seabirds, mainly fulmars, northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes, and common guillemots, use the rock for resting in summer, and gannets and guillemots occasionally breed successfully if the summer is calm with no storm waves washing over the rock. In total there have been just over twenty species of seabird and six other animal species observed (including the aforementioned molluscs) on or near the islet. Cold-water coral biogenic reefs have been identified on the wider Rockall Bank, which are contributing features for the East Rockall Bank and North-West Rockall Bank Special Area of Conservation, SACs.

Discovery of new species

In December 2013 surveys by Marine Scotland discovered four new species of animals in the sea around Rockall. These are believed to live in an area where hydrocarbons are released from the sea bed, known as a cold seep. The discovery has raised the issue of restricting some forms of fishery to protect the sea bed. The species are: * ''Volutopsius scotiae'' Frussen, McKay & Drewery, 2013 – a sea snail about long * ''Thyasira scotiana'' Zelaya, 2009 – a clam * ''Isorropodon mackayi'' – a clam in the order Veneroida * ''Antonbruunia sociabilis'' sp. – a marine worm in the order Phyllodocida

Claims and ownership

Ireland

Irish claims to Rockall are based on its proximity to the Irish mainland; however, the country has never formally claimed sovereignty over the rock. Although Rockall is closer to the UK coast than to the Irish coast, Ireland does not recognise the UK's territorial claim to Rockall, "which would be the basis for a claim to a 12-mile territorial sea". Ireland regards Rockall as irrelevant when determining the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone, Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) as the rock is uninhabitable and in signing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1997, the UK has agreed that "Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf". In 1988, Ireland and the United Kingdom signed an EEZ boundary agreement, ignoring the rock per UNCLOS. With effect from 31 March 2014, the UK and Ireland published EEZ limits which include Rockall within the UK's EEZ. In October 2012, the ''Irish Independent'' published a picture of the Irish Naval Service, Irish Navy ship LÉ Róisín (P51), ''LÉ Róisín'' sailing past Rockall conducting routine maritime security patrols, and claimed that it was exercising Ireland's sovereign rights over the rock.

United Kingdom

The UK claims Rockall along with a territorial sea around the islet inside the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The UK also claims "a circle of UK sovereign airspace over the islet of Rockall". The UK claimed Rockall on 18 September 1955 when "Two Royal Marines and James Fisher (naturalist), a civilian naturalist, led by Royal Navy officer Lieutenant Commander Desmond Scott, raised a Union flag on the islet and cemented a plaque into the rock". Prior to this Rockall was legally '' terra nullius''. In 1972, the British Island of Rockall Act 1972, Island of Rockall Act formally annexed Rockall to the United Kingdom. The UK considers the rock administratively part of the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, Harris and, under the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 a large sea area around it was declared to be under the jurisdiction of Scots law. A radio beacon, navigational beacon was installed on the island in 1982 and the UK declared that no ship would be allowed within a radius of the rock. However, in 1997, the UK ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), limiting territorial sea claims to a radius, and therefore allowing free passage in waters beyond this. In 1988, the United Kingdom and Ireland signed an EEZ boundary agreement for which "the location of Rockall was irrelevant to the determination of the boundary". In 1997, the UK ratified UNCLOS, which states that "Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf". As the rock lies within the United Kingdom's EEZ, the UK has sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources of the area, including jurisdiction over the protection and preservation of the marine environment. In May 2017, declassified documents revealed that the 1955 decision to claim the rock as UK territory was motivated by worries that it could otherwise be used by "hostile agents" to spy on the future South Uist#Missile testing, South Uist Deep Sea Range, missile testing range. Early in January 2021, after Brexit, the UK left the European Union, the ''Northern Celt'', an Irish fishing boat based out of Greencastle, County Donegal, was ordered to leave the 12-nautical-mile zone around Rockall by officers of Marine Scotland.

Shipping disasters

There have been various disasters on the neighbouring

and

(the latter was named in 1830). * 1686 – a Spanish, French, or Spanish-French ship ran aground around Rockall. Several men of the crew, Spanish and French, were able to reach St. Kilda, Scotland, St. Kilda in a pinnace (ship's boat), pinnace and save their lives. Some details of this event were recounted by

in his ''A late voyage to St. Kilda'', published in 1698. The ship was perhaps a fishing vessel based in the Bay of Biscay and bound for North Atlantic cod fisheries. * 1812 – a survey vessel ''Leonidas'' foundered on Helen's Reef. * 1824 – Brigantine ''Helen'' of Dundee, bound for Quebec City, Quebec, foundered on Helen's Reef with fatalities. * 1904 – Danish ship SS Norge, SS ''Norge'' foundered on Hasselwood Rock with the loss of nearly all its 750 passengers. This led to a proposal by David Alan Stevenson, D. & C. Stevenson for an unattended lightship to be moored close to the rock.

In popular culture

* English poet Michael Roberts (writer), Michael Roberts published a poem "Rockall" in his 1939 collection, ''Orion Marches''. The poem describes a shipwrecked traveler on the rock. * In the 1951 novel ''The Cruel Sea (novel), The Cruel Sea'' by Nicholas Monsarrat, the island features as the place of the final act of HMS ''Saltash''s war. It is here the ship takes the surrender of two German U-boats on the last day of World War Two in Europe. * The 1955 British landing, complete with the trappings such as the hoisting the flag, caused a certain amount of popular amusement, with some seeing it as a sort of farcical end to imperial expansion. The satirists Flanders and Swann sang a successful piece titled "Rockall", playing on the similarity of the word to the vulgar expression "fuck all", meaning "nothing": ''The fleet set sail for Rockall, Rockall, Rockall, To free the isle of Rockall, From fear of foreign foe. We sped across the planet, To find this lump of granite, One rather startled gannet; In fact, we found Rockall.'' * In ''The Goon Show'' episode "Napoleon's Piano" (first broadcast October 1955), Bluebottle lands on the piano as it is floating in the English Channel, and cements a brass plate to it in the belief that it is Rockall. Rockall was the launching site for the prototype "Jet propelled guided Navy, Army and Air Force Institute, NAAFI" in the ''Goon Show'' episode of the same name (January 1956). * It has been suggested by several critics that Rockall is the rock which forms the setting for William Golding's 1956 novel ''Pincher Martin''. * ''The Master: An Adventure Story, The Master'', a 1957 novel by T. H. White, is set inside Rockall. * David Frost, when hosting the 1962-1963 BBC satirical TV programme ''That Was the Week That Was'', recited a list of the dwindling British colonial possessions, ending with the words, "... and sweet Rockall." * ''Storm Over Rockall'' was a 1965 novel by W. Howard Baker, part of a series of novels based on the espionage television series ''Danger Man''. * The Icelandic instrumental jazz-funk fusion band Mezzoforte (band), Mezzoforte's track ''Rockall'' was a minor hit in Europe in 1983 and was used as a signature tune by several European radio chart shows. * The Irish folk group The Wolfe Tones made Rockall the subject of their 1976 song "Rock on, Rockall" which asserted an Irish claim to the island. * "Ether", the opening track of the English post-punk band Gang of Four (band), Gang of Four's 1979 debut album, ''Entertainment!'', features the satirical line "There may be oil under Rockall". The bulk of the song deals with the then-ongoing The Troubles, Troubles in Northern Ireland and is critical of British actions there; the line alludes anticlimactically to the dispute between Ireland and the UK over Rockall. * A club, "The Rockall Club", has been established for people who have landed there. * In series 2, episode 2 of the television series ''The Ambassador (TV series), The Ambassador'', "Vacant Possession" (first broadcast 25 Apr 1999), an Irish protestor lands on Rockall and claims it for his nation, sparking a diplomatic row. * BBC Choice broadcast two series of a topical panel show titled ''Good Evening Rockall'' in which panellists put forward events to be included in a news bulletin ostensibly targeting the island. Sue Perkins hosted the second series. * The duo and solo project of Runrig songwriters Calum and Rory Macdonald is called The Band from Rockall.

References

Notes Bibliography * Coates, Richard (1990) ''The place-names of St Kilda''. Lewiston, etc.: Edwin Mellen Press. . * Harvie-Brown, J. A. & Buckley, T. E. (1889) ''A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides.'' Edinburgh. David Douglas. * Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004) ''The Scottish Islands''. Edinburgh. Canongate * Keay, J., and Keay, J. (1994) ''Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland''. London. HarperCollins * Maclean, Charles (1977) ''Island on the Edge of the World: the Story of St. Kilda'', Edinburgh, Canongate * Martin, Martin (1703)
A Voyage to St. Kilda
in ''A Description of The Western Islands of Scotland''. Appin Regiment/Appin Historical Society. Retrieved 16 September 2008. * *

External links

Rockall.name
nbsp;– a complex website about the islet available in both English and Czech
RockallIsland.co.uk
nbsp;– a website detailing the MSØIRC/p amateur radio expedition of 16 June 2005
Rockall2011.com
nbsp;– a website advocating a charitable fund for soldiers based on a pending expedition to Rockall in 2011
Rockall.be
nbsp;– a website on the MMØRAI/p amateur radio expedition to Rockall in 2011
Waveland.org
– official website of the former micronation Waveland based on Rockall
1955: Britain claims Rockall
nbsp;– "''On This Day''" story of British claim to Rockall from BBC's official website

Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs map
showing all parties' claims to the continental shelf around Rockall.

Article in The Herald Scotland about the next attempt

Article in the Press and Journal about the Rockall attempt in 2022
{{Authority control Rockall, Geological type localities Greenpeace campaigns Individual rocks Islands of the North Atlantic Ocean Seabird colonies Shipping Forecast areas Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Western Isles South Skerries of Scotland Stacks of the United Kingdom Uninhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides Volcanoes of Europe