Vacsay

Vacsay

Location

Vacsay

Vacsay shown within Scotland.

OS grid reference:

NB115370

Names

Gaelic name:

Norse name:

bakkiey or vagr-øy

Meaning of name:

peat bank or bay island

Area and Summit

Area:

41 hectares (0.16 sq mi)

Area rank:

207=

Highest elevation:

34 m (112 ft)

Population

Population (2001):

Groupings

Island Group:

Lewis and Harris

Local Authority:

Outer Hebrides

References:

¹²³

If shown, area and population ranks are for all Scottish islands and all inhabited Scottish islands respectively.

Vacsay (Scottish Gaelic: Bhacsaidh or Bhacsaigh from Old Norse "bakkiey" meaning "peat bank island") is one of the Outer Hebrides. It is off the west coast of Lewis in West Loch Roag. It is 41 hectares (0.16 sq mi) in size, and 34 metres (112 feet) at its highest point.

History

Like many of the surrounding islands, Vacsay is uninhabited due to the Highland Clearances, which occurred here in 1827.²

It was bought in 1993 by Sindar Iqbal Singh, a London business man, who currently lives in Lesmahagow. He has bought the title, "Lord of Butley Manor" and also wishes to rename Vacsay, "Robert Burns' island"² or Eilean Burns,⁴ although Burns never visited the Outer Hebrides.

Geography and geology

Vacsay has an extremely complicated coastline, and is connected at low tide to several surrounding islets such as Trathasam, and Liacam.

Footnotes

^ 2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. ISBN 1841954543.
^ Ordnance Survey
^ Craig McQueen (Jan 24, 2008). "The Laird Of Lesmahagow", Daily Record. Retrieved on 4 October 2008.