Ailsa Craig
This distinctive island in the Firth of Clyde off Turnberry is often wrongly called a volcanic plug. In fact, it is an igneous intrusion which sounds much less dramatic. It was once owned by the monks of Crossraguel Abbey and was the haunt of pirates and smugglers. The little tower-house clinging to the slope (see above) was probably used as a watchtower against such brigands.
Ailsa Craig is described as Aldasain in the Irish Book of Leinster and located between Gall Gedelu (Galloway) and Kintyre. In Scottish Gaelic it was variously known as Creag Ealasaid (rock of Elzabeth) and Ealasaid a' Chuan (Elizabeth of the sea). In the Irish tale Buile Suibne it is called Carraig Alastair, "... the abode of seagulls, chilly for its guests ..."
Today, its cliffs are still the domain of seagulls and a massive gannet colony. After a fifteen year programme, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) succeeding in ridding the island of brown rats, allowing puffins to once again nest there. In the charming picture above by Denise Graf entitled Gossip, the puffins look as if they are exchanging stories of how far they have travelled. In August they gather in large flocks and head out to the Atlantic Ocean, some have been known to reach Newfoundland in Canada.
The island's other claim to fame is its granite, used in the manufacture of curling stones. Quarrying has ceased on the island but there is a sufficient quantity of loose rocks scattered around to satisfy demand.
Ailsa is a popular girl's name in Scotland and the island captured the heart of the actress, Ellen Terry (1847-1928) when she was taken there on a steamer trip. She had a six-year relationship with the architect and designer, Edward William Godwin and their daughter was baptised Edith Geraldine Ailsa Craig.
It is possible to take boat trips to Ailsa Craig from Girvan harbour. As it is a nature reserve, there are restrictions on landing. In summer the P.S. Waverley, the last ocean-going paddle steamer in the world, sails from Ayr and Girvan around the island.
Further information:
http://www.ailsacraig.org.uk/
http://www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk/
http://www.rspb.org.uk/ (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds)