Stac na h-Aibhne

Island in Ross-shire

Scotland

Stac na h-Aibhne

Road, Peat Cuttings and Moorland Credit: Sandy Gerrard

Stac na h-Aibhne is a small island located off the coast of Ross-shire, in the Scottish Highlands. It is situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately 2 kilometers west of the mainland. The island is part of the Inner Hebrides archipelago and has a rugged and rocky terrain.

Measuring around 1.5 hectares in size, Stac na h-Aibhne is known for its dramatic cliffs that rise up to 150 meters above sea level. These cliffs provide nesting grounds for various seabird species, including puffins, guillemots, and razorbills. The island's remote and inaccessible nature makes it an important breeding site for these birds.

Stac na h-Aibhne is uninhabited and has no permanent structures. However, it attracts adventurous tourists and birdwatchers who visit the island by boat or kayak to observe the diverse birdlife and enjoy the stunning coastal scenery. The island is also a popular spot for rock climbers due to its challenging cliffs.

The surrounding waters of Stac na h-Aibhne are teeming with marine life, including seals, dolphins, and porpoises. The island's location offers breathtaking views of the Scottish mainland and the nearby Isle of Skye.

Due to its protected status, Stac na h-Aibhne is managed as a nature reserve and is subject to conservation efforts to preserve its unique ecosystem. Visitors are required to adhere to strict guidelines to minimize disturbance to the wildlife and maintain the island's natural beauty.

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Stac na h-Aibhne Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 58.136955/-7.1180864 or Grid Reference NA9827. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Road, Peat Cuttings and Moorland

Sandy Gerrard

Houses at Islibhig

An interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

Sandy Gerrard

Small pond beside the road to Islibhig

This probably represents the site of a small quarry cut for stone when the road was being constructed.

Sandy Gerrard

Geodh' an Fhithich Sea Stacks

Sandy Gerrard

Not Much of a View

In clear weather there would be a view across the square towards Mealaisbhal. It might even be worth walking another couple of hundred metres to get Loch Sanndabhat in view. As it is, cloud base is not much higher than 150 metres above sea level, and all that is visible is a swathe of wet bog interspersed with glaciated outcrops of Lewisian gneiss.

Anne Burgess

Heading north from Breanais on the far west of Lewis

Towards Islibhig.

John Lucas

Near Breanais

Looking inland towards Mealaisbhal.

John Lucas

Some very boggy ground near Islibhig

With Mealaisbhal dominating the view.

John Lucas

The headland of Ãird Feinis

The Flannan Isles/Na h-Eileanan Flannach are just visible on the right horizon. The next landfall from there would be North America, which at this latitude, would be in northern Newfoundland.

John Lucas

Rock strewn landscape north of Islibhig

Looking across Druim Raois towards Mealaisbhal.

John Lucas

Geodh' an Fhithich Rock Stacks viewed from cliff top

A view of the stacks seen just below the cliffs close to Islibhig.

Martin

Geodha an Fhithich

I spotted this on the map and I just had to visit it. Fhithich, as some of my regular readers will know is the domain name for this blog. It’s Gaelic for raven. Geodha means a chasm or ravine. So this is the ravine of the raven. I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I’ve seen geodha before which have much more vertical sides but the sea stacks in the bay across to the headland Àird Feinis were spectacular. From my blog Link