The twin beaches at Eilean Garbh, Isle of Gigha.

Ardminish Bay, from the Gigha ferry.

The Isle of Gigha (pronounced gee'a) is a small island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of about 150 people. The name is derived from the Norse Gudey meaning 'Good Island' or 'God Island'.^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Eilean_Garbh,_Isle_of_Gigha. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Eilean_Garbh,_Isle_of_Gigha. ... Image File history File links Ardminish_Bay,_Gigha. ... Image File history File links Ardminish_Bay,_Gigha. ... Kintyre shown within Argyll Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland in the south-west of Argyll. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... Argyll and Bute (Earra-Ghaidheal agus Bòd in Gaelic) is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy Area in Scotland. ...

The island is 9.5 km (6 miles) long in a roughly north-south direction and a maximum of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) wide. The total area is 1,395 ha (3,447 acres).

Gigha is known for its Ayrshire cattle and goat's cheese. Other attractions on the island are the Achamore Gardens, begun in 1945 by Sir James Horlick^[1] and known for its rhododendrons and azaleas, the many sandy beaches and the ruined thirteenth century St Catan's Chapel. Relative to its size it is the most fertile and productive island in Scotland.^[1] Ayrshire Cow The Ayrshire breed of dairy cattle orginated from the County of Ayr in Scotland. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Subgenera Azaleastrum Candidastrum Hymenanthes Mumeazalea Pentanthera (Azaleas) Rhododendron Therorhodion Tsutsusi (Azaleas) Vireya Source: RBG, Edinburgh Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, rose, and dendron, tree) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. ... Species see text Source: The Rhododendron page, and some research. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I...

There is an unmanned grass landing strip running east/west near the southern end of the island, requiring prior permission for landing. It is one of the closest airstrips to Glasgow International Airport at typically a twenty to thirty minute flight for small aircraft. A Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service links the island's only village, Ardminish, to Tayinloan on the Kintyre peninsula of the Scottish mainland. Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located in Renfrewshire, 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is currently the busiest airport in Scotland, and seventh busiest in the UK in terms of annual passenger throughput [1]. It was the first airport in... Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal-Mac) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and all major islands on Scotlands West coast. ... Ardminish Bay, from the Gigha ferry. ...

In the eighteenth century the population of Gigha peaked at over 700, but by the 1960s it had fallen to 163 and by the beginning of the 21st century it was down to only 98.^[2] During the 20th century the island had numerous owners, which caused various problems in developing the area. This came to an end in March 2002 when the islanders managed, with help from grants from the National Lottery and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, to purchase the island for £4 million and they now own it through a development trust called the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust. As a result March 15th, the day when the purchase went through, is celebrated as the island's independence day. In October [2006]] it was announced^[2] that the population had reached 150 - a rise of more than 50 per cent since the 2002 buy-out. Willie McSporran, chairman of the Heritage Trust, was quoted as saying: "The trust turned 300 years of population decline on its head by encouraging new development and the growth of the local economy. A sign of the surge of people wanting to relocate to Gigha is that we are struggling to meet the demand for housing despite building 18 new homes." A play here! sign outside a newsagent, incorporating the National Lotterys logo of a stylised hand with crossed fingers. ... The UK governments economic development agency for the northern and western half of Scotland: The Highlands and Islands of Scotland has around 19,000 businesses, more than 435,000 individuals with skills and potential of their own - and more than 8,000 voluntary and community groups. ... Development trusts are organisations which operate in the United Kingdom that are: - community based, owned and led - engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community - independent but seek to work in partnership with other private, voluntary and public sector organisations - self-sufficient or aiming...

The issues of island ownership are not unique to Gigha and consequently the island has been highlighted in an edition of the BBC series, Countryfile, which is the principal television forum for countryside issues in the United Kingdom. The British Broadcasting Corporation, invariably known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of £4 billion. ... Countryfile is a Sunday morning television programme by the BBC that reports about various countryside and environmental issues. ...

Rather than rely on the central grid and the power companies to provide their energy, the Gigha islanders have banded together to buy three wind turbines (known locally as The Dancing Ladies or Faith, Hope and Charity), that are now being used to provide power for the island and even generate revenue by selling the excess to the grid. Gigha residents control the whole project and profits are reinvested into the community. Wind turbine in Luxembourg Horizontal axis wind turbine, the Enercon model E-66 wind energy converter, in Germany. ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Murray, W.H. (1977) The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland. London. Collins.
2. ^ ^{a b} Ross, J. (13.10.2006) Island of opportunity welcomes a population explosion. Edinburgh. The Scotsman newspaper [1]

External links

• Isle of Gigha website

Coordinates: 55°41′N 5°45′W The Hebrides The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, and in geological terms are composed of the oldest rocks in the British Isles. ... The Hebrides (Inner Hebrides in red) The Inner Hebrides are a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. ... The Ascrib Islands are a group of small islands lying in Loch Snizort off the north west coast of Skye, Scotland. ... Canna (Gaelic Canaigh )is the westernmost of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. ... Cara Island is a small island which is located off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland, one kilometre south of Gigha. ... Coll shown within Argyll Coll is a small island (about 21 km long and 5 km wide) in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, west of Mull. ... Colonsay shown within Argyll Colonsay [Colbhasa] is an island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, located north of Islay and south of Mull. ... The Crowlin Islands (gaelic: crò linne) a group of uninhabited islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. ... The decaying pier on Easdale which was used to load the slate from the nearby quarries. ... Island of Eigg, as seen from a ferry An Sgurr Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. ... Iona village viewed from a short distance offshore. ... Isay is an uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides of the west coast of Scotland. ... Landsat image of Islay Islay (pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: , or ee-luh), a Scottish island, known as The Queen of the Hebrides, is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. ... Jura shown within Argyll Satellite picture of Jura Jura (Scottish Gaelic Diùra) is a Scottish island, in the Inner Hebrides. ... Looking towards Gylen Castle, Kerrera. ... Lismore (coloured red) shown within Argyll Lismore is an island in Loch Linnhe, in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. ... Luing (An t-Eilean Luinn in Gaelic) is one of the Slate Islands, in Lorne, in the west of Argyll in Scotland, about 16 miles south of Oban. ... The Isle of Lunga is the largest of the Treshnish Isles group. ... Oronsay is a small island south of Colonsay in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. ... Muck is the smallest of the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. ... Tobermory with 700 people, the largest settlement on Mull, is home to the only whisky distillery on the island. ... Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. ... Rùm (a Scottish Gaelic name which is usually anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles, in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. ... Seil is one of the Slate Islands, lying west of Argyll in Scotland. ... Shuna is one of the Slate Islands in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, lying east of Luing. ... Looking towards Quiraing, Skye. ... Soay From Old Norse so-øy meaning Sheep Island Soay is an island just off the south coast of Skye, occasionally considered part of the Small Isles. ... Fingals Cave around 1900 View from West to East Staffa (Norse for staff, column, or pillar island), an island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... This article is about the Summer Isles in Scotland. ... Looking West to Balephuil Bay, across the famous Hebridean Machair. ... Western Isles redirects here. ... Castlebay, Barra Traigh Eaig beach This article is about the island of Barra in Scotland. ... The Barra Isles, also known as the Bishops Isles as they were historically owned by the church, are a small archipelago of islands in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... Benbecula (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn na Faoghla, meaning the mountain of the ford) is an island of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... Berneray (From viking Bjorns Isle) (Scottish Gaelic: Bheàrnaraidh) is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... Eriskay, looking towards Easabhal on South Uist. ... The Flannan Isles (Scottish Gaelic: na h-Eileanan Flannach) are an island group in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, lying several miles west of Lewis. ... Great Bernera, often known just as Bernera (Scottish Gaelic: Bearnaraigh) is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. ... The Isle of Harris An Cliseam from the Abhainn Mharaig, just off the main road to Lewis. ... The Isle of Lewis Looking towards the Uplands in the centre of the Island of Lewis Lewis (Leòdhas in Scottish Gaelic) or The Isle of Lewis (Eilean Leòdhais), is the northern part of the largest island of the Western Isles of Scotland or Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan... Looking along the beach and machair of the spit Corran Aird a Mhòrain. ... Rockall, a small, isolated rocky islet in the North Atlantic Ocean Rockall is a small, rocky islet in the North Atlantic, in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Kingdom. ... Scalpay is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland west of Harris, to which it is linked by a bridge. ... Looking west to Nicolsons Leap. ... Mercator projection map of the St Kilda Island group with inset of the British Isles. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...