West Linga

Infobox Scottish island


latitude=60.6
longitude=-1.05
GridReference=HU533651
celtic name=
norse name= lyng-øy
meaning of name= (west) heather island
area=125 ha
area rank= 134=
highest elevation= 52 m
Population=0
population rank=
main settlement=
island group= Shetland
local authority=Shetland Islands
references= [2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland] [http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ Ordnance Survey] ] Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) "The Scottish Islands". Edinburgh. Canongate.]

West Linga is an uninhabited island located between Mainland and Whalsay in Shetland, Scotland.

Geography and geology

West Linga is a long narrow island covered in rough heath. It is separated from Whalsay by Linga Sound, and Lunning on Mainland, Shetland to the west. Little Linga, Swarta Skerry, Lona Skerry and Ketill Holm lie to the west. The Calf of Linga to the south is a drying islet. Wether Holm is separated by a 3m deep channel at the north end.

There are two lochs, and a natural arch in the north west. The two main hills are at either end - North and South Ward. There is a cairn in the south. [cite web| url=http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1886.html| title=Overview of West Linga| publisher=Gazeteer for Scotland| accessdate=2007-12-14]

The rock is coarse micaceous, and hornblendic gneiss with granite veins. There is a raised beach above Croo Wick at the southern extremity.

History

West Linga appears to have been inhabited intermittently until the late 18th century. The lack of an anchorage and somewhat brackish water have hindered settlement.

Some acreage on "Liungøuo í Hwalsøyo" is recorded in 1485 for sale for 10 marks, as part of an illegal land sale, at Korskirken near Bergen in Norway. [Schei, Liv - "The Shetland Story"]

Hugh MacDiarmid who lived on nearby Whalsay, said in "The Uncanny Scot" that he had spent three days on the island, living in a cave, with lots of matches and two books. In fact it transpired that he'd been there only for a few hours. Interestingly, one of MacDiarmid's best known poems was "On a Raised Beach".

Footnotes