Isle Of Scalpay
Scalpay is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Scalpay is around 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) long and also rises to a height of 104 metres (341 feet) at Beinn Scorabhaig. The area of Scalpay is 653 hectares (2.52 sq mi). The primary settlement on the island goes to the north, near the bridge, clustered around An Acairseid a Tuath (North Harbour). The island is peppered with little lochans. The biggest of these is Loch an Duin (Loch of the Ft) which has a small island in it, with the remains of the fort still noticeable. Eilean Glas, a tiny peninsula on Scalpay's eastern coast, is residence to the very first lighthouse to be integrated in the Outer Hebrides. Scalpay's nearest neighbor, Harris, is simply 300 metres (980 feet) away across the narrows of Caolas Scalpaigh. In 1997, a bridge from Harris to Scalpay was developed, replacing a ferryboat solution. In 2001, the island had 322 people, whose main employment was fish farming as well as prawn fishing. By 2011 the population had decreased by 9% to 291 whilst during the same period Scottish island populations overall grew by 4% to 103,702.