Sheep Island is a small uninhabited island situated off the southern tip of the

Kintyre 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 nor ...

peninsula in Scotland. Sheep Island, along with

Sanda Island Sanda Island ( gd, Sandaigh) is a small island in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, off the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, near Southend and Dunaverty Castle. On clear days Sanda can be seen from the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, from ...

and Glunimore Island, form a small group of islands approximately south of

at . Running roughly north to south, the island is around long, and is steep and precipitous along the west coast, rising to a maximum height of . There is a cave on the west coast and a

natural arch A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion ...

at the northwest of the island. A considerable reef of drying rocks surrounds the island and makes landing on the island problematic. There are a number of strong

tidal race Tidal race or tidal rapid is a natural occurrence whereby a fast-moving tide passes through a constriction, resulting in the formation of waves, eddies and hazardous currents. The constriction can be a passage where the sides narrow, for example ...

s in the area, Tum ba nach is one that extends north from Sheep Island to around halfway across the Sound of Sanda. As the name suggests, sheep have traditionally been grazed here, however the island is more notable as the primary breeding ground for

puffins Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crev ...

in the Clyde. From here the birds are returning to nearby

Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig (; sco, Ailsae Craig; gd, Creag Ealasaid) is an island of in the outer Firth of Clyde, west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the ...

, where they were once wiped out.

Guillemot Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the Alcidae or auk family (part of the order Charadriiformes). In British use, the term comprises two genera: '' Uria'' and ''Cepphus''. In North America the ''Uria'' species ...

s and

razorbill The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (''Alca torda'') is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus '' Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinis im ...

s also nest on Sheep Island.

References

{{Portal bar, United Kingdom, Scotland Islands of the Clyde Uninhabited islands of Argyll and Bute Natural arches of Scotland