Sanda Island () is a small island in the Firth of Clyde, off of Argyll and Bute, Scotland, near the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, near Southend and Dunaverty Castle.

On clear days Sanda can be seen from the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula, from the Isle of Arran and from northeast County Antrim. It is known locally on Arran and on the Antrim coast as "Spoon Island" because of its resemblance to an upturned spoon.

Population

In the 2001 census Sanda was one of four Scottish islands with a population of just one person. However, since then there has been some development, and in 2008 the island had a population of 3. In August 2008, as a result of their separation, the husband and wife owners put the island up for sale at a price of £3.2 million, and in January 2009 they announced that a sole caretaker would be resident until spring viewings re-commenced. The island was eventually sold to Swiss businessman Michi Meier for the reduced price of £2.5 million. The island's growth as a tourist destination may come to an end under the new owner, who has stated that he wants the island for personal use. By the time of the 2011 census, it had no usual residents.

Wildlife

left|thumb|A view of the coast of Sanda

The island is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its importance for both migrating and breeding birds.

Sanda Bird Observatory was the first bird observatory to be set up on the west coast of Scotland.

Geography and geology

According to Haswell-Smith, the island's geology is "lower old red sandstone in red and yellow varieties, and undifferentiated schists." To the east there is also the notorious "ship catcher", Paterson's Reef. It is said that Ninian was buried here, and indeed, the island was in possession of the Priory of Whithorn in Galloway until the Reformation. It is said that Ninian's grave was marked by an alder tree, and that whoever stepped on it would die. those MacDonalds were also caught up in related fighting from the 1630s onwards, and lost their position as a result of the Dunaverty Massacre.

The island has had a number of different owners in its history, including, in 1969, Jack Bruce of the rock group Cream.

Lighthouse

left|thumb|The Byron Darnton, allegedly the most remote pub in Scotland, named after a local shipwreck

At the southern tip of the island there is a lighthouse built in 1850 by Alan Stevenson. When seen from the sea to the south, the natural arch, and the lighthouse on the rock can look like a ship, hence its name "The Ship" on marine charts.

Byron Darnton

A pub was opened in 2003, named Byron Darnton after the vessel which wrecked on the island in 1946. The Byron Darnton was named after an American war correspondent whose son, John Darnton, also became a journalist and wrote of his visit to the island in 2005.

Stamps

Local stamps have been issued for Sanda since 1962. The stamps served the resident staff employed by the Northern Lighthouse Board, the owners and the many visitors to the island who wished to have their mail posted there, and carried to the nearest GPO post box on the mainland.

References

  • Photographers website (Project on Sanda)
  • Sanda Island - owners' website
  • Sanda Lighthouse
  • Sanda Island Bird Observatory