Islands of the Forth

The Islands of the Firth of Forth are a minor island group, lying between Fife and the Lothians, in east Scotland. There are few islands off eastern Scotland, and this group comprises the majority.

They include:

* Bass Rock
* Craigleith
* Eyebroughy
* Fidra
* Inchcolm
* Inchkeith
* Inchmickery
* The Lamb
** which is flanked by North and South Dog Islands - which are basically small skerries.
* The Isle of May

And also -
* Cramond Island (tidal, part of the Almond estuary)
* Inchgarvie (incorporated into Forth Bridge)
* Rosyth Castle, on a former tidal island.

None of these islands has a major population at this time, and few have a permanent population, although there was formerly a village on the Isle of May, and there have been monasteries, hermitages, lighthouses and fortifications on the other islands. Because many of the islands have the first element, "Inch-", they are featured occasionally in a riddle, "How many inches is the Forth?", playing on a pun on 'Inch' ("Innis"), the Gaelic word for island, and inch, the imperial measurement.

There are two main groups, namely those in the inner Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh, Leith & South Queensferry on the south shore, and Burntisland & Aberdour on the north shore (which fall under Fife); and those off East Lothian, particularly near North Berwick and Gullane

The Firth is important for nature conservation. The Firth of Forth Islands SPA (Special Protection Area) is host to over 90,000 breeding seabirds every year. There is a bird observatory on the Isle of May.

Ecclesiastical associations

Many of the islands were said to have Culdee connections, and had chapels on them. The following is a list of saints connected with the various islands -

* The Bass - Saint Baldred of Tyninghame [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43422]
* Fidra - St Nicholas [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43439&strquery=fidrey#s30]
* Inchcolm - Columba
* Inchkeith - St Adomnan and St Serf
* Isle of May - St Kentigern (Mungo), St Ethernan/Adrian

Inchgarvie was also said to have a culdee on it, and Inchmickery's name means "island of the vicar".

Islands just outside the Firth

A handful of islands lie beyond the mouth of the Firth of Forth, notably, Inchcape, a notorious reef, which is technically off the Firth of Tay, and also several rocks off Dunbar in East Lothian.

ee also

* Hebrides
* Northern Isles
* Islands of the Clyde

References

* Haswell-Smith, Hamish "The Scottish Islands"