Soay (pronounced "soy") is the name of several Scottish islands. It is Sòdhaigh (sometimes anglicised "Soaigh") in

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 ...

, and comes from the

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 ...

''so-ey'' meaning "island of sheep". It may refer to: *

Soay, Inner Hebrides Soay ( gd, Sòdhaigh, ) is an island just off the coast of Skye, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Geography Soay lies to the west of Loch Scavaig on the south-west coast of Skye, from which it is separated by Soay Sound. Unlike its neighbours ...

off south west Skye *

Soay, St Kilda Soay ( gd, Soaigh) is an uninhabited islet in the St Kilda archipelago, Scotland. The name is from Old Norse ''Seyðoy'', meaning "Island of Sheep". The island is part of the St Kilda World Heritage Site and home to a primitive breed of sheep ...

in the St Kilda group * The neighbouring islands of

Soay Mòr Soay Mòr ( gd, Sòdhaigh Mòr) is an island in West Loch Tarbert, between the northern and southern parts of Harris. The uninhabited island is separated from the southwest coast of North Harris by the Soay Sound. The adjacent Soay Beag Soay B ...

and

Soay Beag Soay Beag (Scottish Gaelic: ''Sòdhaigh Beag'') is a small, uninhabited tidal island in West Loch Tarbert, between the northern and southern parts of Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also know ...

in the Outer Hebrides It may also refer to: *

Soay sheep The Soay sheep is a breed of domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') descended from a population of feral sheep on the island of Soay in the St Kilda Archipelago, about from the Western Isles of Scotland. It is one of the Northern European short-t ...

the native, primitive sheep from St Kilda

See also