Torsa (occasionally Torsay) is one of the Slate Islands in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Lying east of Luing and south of Seil, this tidal island was inhabited until the 1960s. There is now only one house there, which is used for holiday lets. The bulk of the island, the total area of which extends to , lies above a raised beach at between 10 and 60 metres above sea level. There are post-glacial marine deposits all around the raised beach that encircles the middle of the island. Torsa Beag has been formed from a Neoproterozoic metamorphic intrusion.
Etymology
Torsa, The name suggests it may have been used as a hunting lodge, although Torsa itself is too small to have provided much sport of this nature. It is more likely that this name is derived from a byname used of Clan MacLean by their enemies – Clann Illeathain nan Con, "Clan Lean of the Dogs".
By the late 17th century the Dukes of Argyll were the dominant landowners in the area and they began to lease land on a competitive basis rather than as the traditional means of strengthening the welfare of their senior clansmen. Neighbouring Seil, Luing and Shuna were subject to significant clearances of the indigenous population by Clan Campbell as early as 1699 and it is highly likely that Torsa suffered the same fate. The Slate Islands then became part of the Netherlorn estates of the Breadalbane family, a branch of Clan Campbell, whose affairs were directed from Ardmaddy Castle on the mainland.
thumb|left|[[Ardmaddy Castle on mainland Scotland, seat of the government of Nether Lorn under the Breadalbane family]]
In 1928 a stone spindle whorl of unknown date was found on the central plateau of the island. At the beginning of the 19th century there were eleven families living on the island who made use of the traditional run rig system of cultivation. In the mid-19th century the population was recorded as 9, 5 females and 4 males and by 1909 the island had a single farm. The 1961 census was the last record of any permanent inhabitation with a single resident living there at that time.
During the 20th century most of the Breadalbane land on the Slate Islands was sold off as smaller farms and individual houses.
In 2024, a UK-based Muslim cleric, Yasser Al-Habib, attempted to buy the island to establish a Sharia-based state but was refused by the owner. Al-Habib had raised £3 million from followers for the purchase, intending to build a school, hospital, and mosque. In response, Calvin Robinson, a Christian political commentator and priest, launched a fundraising campaign to buy the island for a Christian monastery and retreat; he raised over £160,000 but did not purchase the island.
Wildlife
thumb|Map of [[Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura Marine Protected Area]]
Red deer, roe deer and foxes can be found on the island and otters and seals can sometimes be seen along the shoreline. Various boat trips operate locally offering visitors the opportunity to see cetaceans and basking sharks. The island lies near the eastern edge of the Firth of Lorn Marine Special Area of Conservation
See also
- Luing cattle
- Scandinavian Scotland