Inchfad

Infobox Scottish island
latitude=56.08
longitude=-4.57
GridReference=NS398908
celtic name= Innis Fada
norse name=
meaning of name= long island
area=40 ha
area rank=210=
highest elevation= 24 m
Population=2
population rank= 88=
main settlement=
island group= Loch Lomond
local authority=Stirling
references= [2001 UK Census per List of islands of Scotland.] [ [http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ Ordnance Survey] ] [cite web| url=http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/featurefirst1906.html| title=Overview of Inchfad| publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland| accessdate=2007-08-24]

Inchfad (Scottish Gaelic: Innis Fada, meaning "long island") is an island in the south east of Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Inchfad is 1.35 kmcite web| url=http://www.loch-lomond.net/islands/inchfad.html| title=Inchfad| publisher=Loch Lomond Net| accessdate=2008-09-24] (about a mile [cite web| url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43448&strquery=fidrey#s10| title=British History On-Line| accessdate=2007-08-24] ) long and forty hectares in area. Its highest point is 25 metres. The island forms part of the parish of Buchanan in west central Scotland, formerly part of Stirlingshire and now under Stirling Council.

Inchfad is partially wooded and has two residents. There are two houses on Inchfad, a modernized bungalow which served as the original farmhouse and a wooden house used as a holiday home.

The very small island of Ellanderroch is just off its south-western tip.

There is a canal on the island which is 1/4 mile long, connected with the distillery.cite web| url=http://www.lochlomond-islands.com/page53.html| title=Inchfad| publisher=lochlomond-islands.com| accessdate=2008-10-05]

History

After the closure of illicit whisky stills around the loch, Inchfad became the home of a registered distillery. The ruins can be seen to this day. A canal was built to minimize the distance that the raw materials for the whisky had to be man handled.

Inchfad was taken over by the MacFarlanes in the early 18th century, who ran a government distillery until the mid 19th century.cite book| author=Worsley, Harry| title=Loch Lomond: The Loch, the Lairds and the Legends| isbn=978-1-898169-34-5| publisher=Lindsay Publications| location=Glasgow| date=1988] , and their descendants run the boatyard at Balmaha nearby, as well as the island's mail service. Other owners have included the Dukes of Montrose, and Charles Collins, founder of the publishing dynasty.

The island was taken over by an English family called Davidson, who set about restoring the farm to working condition. Everything was brought up by train, including livestock. After they succeeded, they sold the island, and set off in a yacht, which was wrecked killing Mr. Davidson. His widow Anne Davidson wrote an autobiography called "My Home is an Island" about Inchfad.

Footnotes