Ceann Ear
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:''Disambiguation: "Ceann Ear" is a common Scottish placename meaning Eastern Headland'' Ceann Ear is the largest island in the Monach or Heisgeir group off
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 ...
in north west Scotland. It is in size and connected by sandbanks to
Ceann Iar ''Disambiguation: "Ceann Iar" is a common Scottish placename meaning Western Headland'' Ceann Iar (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic "Western Headland") is one of the Monach Isles/Heisgeir, to the west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. It is a slender i ...
via Sibhinis at low tide. It is said that it was at one time possible to walk all the way to
Baleshare Baleshare ( gd, Baile Sear) is a flat tidal island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Baleshare lies to the south-west of North Uist. Its economics and community were boosted by the building of a causeway in 1962. The causeway was built by Wil ...
, and on to
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 ...
, away at low tide. In the 16th century, a large tidal wave was said to have washed this away. Today the islands are a national nature reserve.


Human settlement

Ceann Ear had been settled for at least a thousand years, before being finally abandoned. Like the other Monach Islands, it was originally abandoned due to
overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...
, and resettled in the wake of the
Highland Clearances The Highland Clearances ( gd, Fuadaichean nan Gàidheal , the "eviction of the Gaels") were the evictions of a significant number of tenants in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, mostly in two phases from 1750 to 1860. The first phase resulte ...
. In the 13th century, a chapel was established, which had links to
Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...
. This monastery was probably at Cladh na Beide in the north east. The monks were responsible for maintaining a light on nearby
Shillay Shillay ( gd, Siolaigh) is an uninhabited island which lies 2 km north of Pabbay in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The name is derived from the Norse ''selr-øy'' meaning seal island and is a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve owing to it ...
to warn ships. Ceann Ear was also known as "Heisgeir nan Cailleach" ("Heisker of the Nuns") due to a nunnery which may have been established in the 13th century. (''Cailleach'' is usually translated as "old woman", but originally meant a nun.) Unusually, the islanders had their grain drying kilns ''inside'' their houses. This is not common at all in the Hebrides, but more a feature of
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...
. There are still the remains of the village in the south of the island, and the old schoolhouse is upkept as a fisherman's shelter. There was formerly a post office and a school here, but no shops.


Geography

A low lying, sandy island, subject to intense
coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward ...
. The highest point is Coilleag Mhòr nan Dàmh at Gortinish at the north east of the island. Gale-force winds blast the Monach Isles on about 160 days of the year. Only certain plants, such as marram grass, can withstand the constant blown sand and salt spray. Farther inland, there are more permanent patches of damp grassland, the wettest having rushes and moss. There are only a few tiny lochs, all rather salty and some only seasonal. The remains of the little village of Ceann Ear are clustered around the largest one (Loch nam Buadh), but the villagers used to get their freshwater from a few wells nearby.


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 ...


Notes and references

{{coord, 57, 31, 22, N, 7, 36, 48, W, display=title, region:GB_type:isle_source:GNS-enwiki Monach Islands Tidal islands of Scotland Former populated places in Scotland Uninhabited islands of the Outer Hebrides