Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654
Name: | Blaeu, Joan, 1596-1673 |
Title: | Skia |
Pagination: | 127 |
Zoom view: | Click on the image to view in greater detail |
132 / 162 Scroll through pages: |
Translation of text:
SKYE (Section Note)
After this Skye stretches from north to south, the largest of all the islands round Scotland: forty two miles long, in some places eight, in others twelve wide, rising into mountains in several places; they abound in woods, and the woods in pastures, and the plains are fertile for crops and herds: on these in addition to other herds there are groups of mares. It has five larger rivers with many salmon, and many smaller ones, and these too do not lack salmon. The sea penetrating everywhere into the land makes many salt-water gulfs, three in particular, but also thirteen others, all yielding herring. It has also a fresh-water loch, and five castles. The island in the old tongue of the Scots is called Skianach, that is, winged, because the promontories, between which the sea flows in, appear like wings. The custom however has prevailed of commonly calling it Skye, that is Wing.
Scattered around it lie smaller islands, Ornsay abundant in crops and cattle, Eilean nan Coinean [?] in groves and rabbits.
Pabay is notorious for robberies, because in its woods bandits set ambushes for passers-by.
Then Scalpay is situated eight miles to the north west. In addition to other commodities it nourishes large herds of stags in its woods. Between the mouth of the Gulf of Caron [?] and Raasay lies Crowlin, a safe anchorage for ships. From Scalpay two miles to the north stretches Raasay, seven miles long, two wide: it has birch woods, and in them stags. Half a mile from it is Rona, covered with woods and heather. It has a harbour in the inmost gulf unsafe for passers-by because of robberies, good for concealing ambushes; and at the mouth of the gulf, which is called Gairloch [?] from its shortness, is an island of the same name. Six miles to the north from Rona is Eilean Flodigarry, and two miles from there is Tulm Island, and on the south side of Skye is Oronsay, and a mile from that Wiay Beg, then Wiay Mor, and next five small obscure islands; after them Isay, fertile in crops; and next to it Ovia [?]; then Ascrib and Lindill [?].