The Oa
The Oa (/ˈoʊ/ OH)[1] (Scottish Gaelic: An Obha) is a rocky peninsula in the southwest of the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland. It is an RSPB nature reserve.
Area
The area is roughly circular, with a radius of about 4 km, and connects with the rest of the island at a neck about 4 km across, which runs between Kintra and Port Ellen. Its high point is Beinn Mhòr (202 metres or 663 feet) near the cliff top on the south coast. The Oa had a population of 800 in 1830, but became deserted due to the Highland Clearances.[2]
The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918 – the liner Tuscania and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Otranto.[2] It lies at the end of the only road in the Oa.
The area around the memorial is an RSPB nature reserve,[3] where chough, golden eagles, corn crakes, and sea birds can be seen. 1,931 hectares (4,770 acres) have been designated as a Special Protection Area for the protection of the chough.[2]
Ireland can be seen from the south coast on a clear day.
References
- ^ Ayto, John; Crofton, Ian (2005). Brewer's Britain And Ireland. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 829.
- ^ a b c "The Oa Peninsula". Guide to the Isle of Islay. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
- ^ "The Oa". RSPB. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
External links
- Media related to The Oa at Wikimedia Commons