The Oa
The Oa (/ˈoʊ/ OH)[1] (Scottish Gaelic: An Obha) is a rocky peninsula in the southwest of the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland. It is an RSPB nature reserve.
Area
[edit | edit source]The area is roughly circular, with a radius of about 4 km, and connects with the rest of the island at a neck about 4 km across, which runs between Kintra and Port Ellen. Its high point is Beinn Mhòr (202 metres or 663 feet) near the cliff top on the south coast. The Oa had a population of 800 in 1830, but became deserted due to the Highland Clearances.[2]
The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918 – the liner Tuscania and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Otranto.[2] It lies at the end of the only road in the Oa.
The area around the memorial is an RSPB nature reserve,[3] where chough, golden eagles, corn crakes, and sea birds can be seen. 1,931 hectares (4,770 acres) have been designated as a Special Protection Area for the protection of the chough.[2]
Ireland can be seen from the south coast on a clear day.[citation needed]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
