Auskerry
Small island in eastern Orkney, Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Auskerry (Scots: Soond; Old Norse: Austrsker, east skerry) is a small island in eastern Orkney, Scotland. It lies in the North Sea south of Stronsay and has a lighthouse, completed in 1866.
| Location | |
|---|---|
 Auskerry Auskerry shown within Orkney | |
| OS grid reference | HY675165 |
| Coordinates | 59.032267°N 2.569761°W |
| Name | |
| Name meaning | east skerry |
| Old Norse name | Austrsker |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Orkney |
| Area | 85 hectares (0.33 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 157= [2] |
Highest elevation | 18 metres (59 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Orkney Islands |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 2[3] |
| Population rank | 88= [2] |
| Population density | 2.35 people/km2[3][4] |
| References | [4][5][6][7] |
| Auskerry Lighthouse | |
.jpg) | |
| Constructed | 1866  |
| Built by | David Stevenson, Thomas Stevenson |
| Construction | stone |
| Automated | 1961 |
| Height | 34 m (112 ft) |
| Shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern[8][9] |
| Markings | white tower, black lantern, ochre trim |
| Power source | solar power |
| Operator | Northern Lighthouse Board |
| Heritage | category B listed building |
| Fog signal | None |
| Focal height | 34 m (112 ft) |
| Range | 20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 20s |
Description
Auskerry is a small, flat, red sandstone islet, 3 miles (5 km) south of Stronsay.[10][11] A standing stone and mediaeval chapel are signs of early settlement.[10] The island was uninhabited for a time after the automation of the lighthouse in the 1960s. It was previously a popular location for hunting seals.[10]
Auskerry has been inhabited for nearly 50 years by a family (of the reporter Hamish Auskerry) who keep a flock of rare North Ronaldsay sheep.[12] There are three small wind turbines and four solar panels on the island, which provide most of the power. After a series of expansions and renovations, the single roomed stone bothy is now a modern house with four bedrooms, kitchen, shower room and living room. The chemical toilet is outdoors due to the complication of installing septic tanks. Mail is delivered from Stronsay, once a month, by a fishing boat.[13]
Lighthouse
The lighthouse lights the north entrance to the Stronsay Firth.[14] It was built in 1866 by engineers David and Thomas Stevenson.[15] It is attached to two flats; the lower one is used all year as a store and the top one is used mainly in summer.
The Hastings County, a 116-metre Norwegian cargo ship, ran ashore on north west of Auskerry in 1926 during thick fog.[16] The vessel broke in half and wreckage is spread over a wide area, with the engine on the beach.
Wildlife
Auskerry is designated a Special Protection Area due to its importance as a nesting area for Arctic tern and European storm petrel; 4.2% of the breeding population of European storm petrels in Great Britain nest on the island.[17] The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant breeding populations of seabirds.[18]
