Inchlonaig
Island in Loch Lomond, Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Inchlonaig is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland.
| Meaning of name | "Island of Yew Trees" |
|---|---|
| Location | |
  Inchlonaig Inchlonaig shown within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | NS380934 |
| Coordinates | 56.10°N 4.60°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Loch Lomond |
| Area | 80 ha[1] |
| Area rank | 162= (Freshwater: 3) [2] |
| Highest elevation | 62 m |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Argyll and Bute |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
 | |
| References | [3] [4] |
Geography and geology
Inchlonaig is the most northerly of the larger islands in the Loch Lomond, just south of where it narrows into a ribbon loch, and north of Inchconnachan.[5]
History
Inchlonaig has traces of human habitation dating back to 5000BC.
Scattered across the island are yew trees. The travel writer, H.V. Morton visited in the 1930s, and mentions:
- Inchclonaig [sic], the 'marsh isle' whose yew trees, it is said, were planted by Robert the Bruce for his archers.[6]
It is also stated that King Robert used this supply to make bows before the fourteenth century Battle of Bannockburn.[6][7][8] The island was thus of great value and the trees maintained with the utmost care.[9]
Strathcashel, a stronghold of the Dukes of Montrose was opposite Inchlonaig.[8]
Rob Roy fixed the amount of money he was to extort from Clan Colquhoun here.[8]
At various times, the island has been a deer park, especially by Sir James Colquhoun in the 17th century[5][9] and a place of confinement for drunkards and the mentally ill.[8]
In 1873, Sir James Colquhoun, the clan chief, and some ghillies drowned after going hunting here, and they are buried together at Luss.[8]
Current use
A stone cottage is now used as a holiday home.[7] The island is classified by the National Records of Scotland as an inhabited island that "had no usual residents at the time of either the 2001 or 2011 censuses."[10]
The beaches on the island are also a common location for campers who are looking for a more quiet campsite.
