Scottish Gaelic name | Creag Ealasaid |
---|---|
Scots name | Ailsae Craig[1] |
Meaning of name | Elizabeth's rock or Fairy rock |
![]() Ailsa Craig from the southeast | |
Location | |
OS grid reference | NX019997 |
Coordinates | 55°15′07″N 05°06′59″W / 55.25194°N 5.11639°W |
Physical geography | |
Island group | Firth of Clyde |
Area | 99 ha (240 acres)[2] |
Area rank | 150=[2] [3] |
Highest elevation | 338 m (1,109 ft) (a Marilyn) |
Administration | |
Council area | South Ayrshire |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Demographics | |
Population | 0[4] |
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References | [2][5][6] |
Ailsa Craig (/ˈeɪlsə/; Scots: Ailsae Craig; Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an island of 99 ha (240 acres) in the outer Firth of Clyde, 16 km (8+1⁄2 nmi) west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the remains of a magmatic pluton formed during the same period of igneous activity as magmatic rocks on the nearby Isle of Arran.[7]
The island, colloquially known as "Paddy's Milestone",[8] was a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary, providing a home for huge numbers of gannets and an increasing number of puffins.