Maw Skelly

Island in Angus

Scotland

Maw Skelly

Harvesting the Barley The combine harvester is just turning to cut a new swathe of barley, and the tractor is about to take a full load of grain to the farm. — Harvesting the Barley Credit: Anne Burgess

Maw Skelly, Angus is a small island located off the eastern coast of Scotland, in the North Sea. It is part of the Angus Council area and lies approximately 16 kilometers northeast of Arbroath. The island, also known as Maw Skelly Rock, is situated within the Bell Rock Lighthouse protection zone, which is known for its treacherous waters.

Maw Skelly is a rocky, uninhabited island with an area of around 0.03 hectares. It is characterized by its steep cliffs and rugged terrain, making it inaccessible for visitors. The island is covered in low-lying vegetation, mainly consisting of grass and mosses. It is a popular breeding ground for various seabirds, including gulls, puffins, and cormorants.

Due to its location near the Bell Rock Lighthouse, Maw Skelly has played a significant role in maritime history. The Bell Rock Lighthouse, often referred to as the "Wonder of the North Sea," was built between 1807 and 1810 on a treacherous reef, known as Bell Rock, which is visible from Maw Skelly. The lighthouse serves as a crucial navigational aid for ships in the area, warning them of the dangers posed by the surrounding rocks and reefs.

Maw Skelly, Angus, with its stunning coastal scenery and its connection to the historic Bell Rock Lighthouse, remains an intriguing landmark in the region's maritime heritage.

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Maw Skelly Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 56.594741/-2.5126474 or Grid Reference NO6844. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Harvesting the Barley

The combine harvester is just turning to cut a new swathe of barley, and the tractor is about to take a full load of grain to the farm.

Anne Burgess

A Field of Phacelia

Phacelia is a 'green manure' that is grown to improve the soil and attract bees and other beneficial insects.

Anne Burgess

But n Ben restaurant, Auchmithie

Restaurant in a traditional cottage style building at the start of the old part of the clifftop village.

Gordon Hatton

St Peter's Church, Auchmithie

Scottish Episcopal Church situated at the western end of the village.

Gordon Hatton

Across Castlesea Bay

Looking south across the bay to the promontory of Lud Castle, which is an iron age fort.

Gordon Hatton

Harvested field south of Auchmithie

A view from the coast path looking inland across a recently cropped field towards Auchmithie church.

Gordon Hatton

Devonian sandstone meets the North Sea

The red cliffs of Angus are made from Devonian period sandstone - a sedimentary rock.

Gordon Hatton

Cliffs near West Mains

There's a faint and daunting-looking steep path down the gully here, though at least it's not overgrown with whins. West Mains of Ethie is in the background.

Anne Burgess

Sled from the Clifftop

One of the rocks close to shore here is named on the map as Sled.

Anne Burgess

Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris)

There's quite a lot of this in the East Den, though overall it is not common in northern Scotland.

Anne Burgess

Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris)

These are the seed pods of NO6945 : Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris).

Anne Burgess

Beach north of Rumness

Rumness itself is more or less hidden behind the headland, but according to the old Ordnance Survey maps none of the other rock features here has a name.

Anne Burgess

Old Red Sandstone

The rocks in the foreground are sandstones of Devonian age, laid down in arid conditions some 420 million years ago when what is now Scotland was at the latitude of the present-day Sahara Desert.

Anne Burgess