Insh Island

Insh Island (Scottish Gaelic: An Innis) or simply Insh is an uninhabited island west of the island of Seil in the Firth of Lorn, Scotland. One of the Slate Islands, Insh Island lies a mile (1.5 km) northeast of Ellenabeich in Seil. It is separated from it by the Sound of Insh. The island rises to 69 metres (226 feet) and is 36 hectares (89 acres) in area. A previous owner, David Brearley lived in a cave at the north end of the island between 1973 and 2003. It was "Eilean nan Caorach" on the 1875 Ordnance Survey (OS) maps, which was thought to have been an error, with its correct name being "Inis-Capul". It is now on OS maps as "Insh Island". Insh was previously known as Sheep Island. The name is tautologous. The Gaelic An Innis means simply "The Island" and the derived English language name thus means "The Island Island." The 49.3 m (162 ft) long wooden sailing ship Norval ran aground in fog near the southern tip of Insh on 20 September 1870. The wreckage was still visible in 1995. The Northern sea fan (Swiftia pallida) is found in the waters off Insh Island.