shiant island,scotland,uk,Shiant Isles,pivate islands in scotland,scottish islands,isle,
The name Shiant is from the Scottish Gaelic Na h-Eileanan Seunta, which means the "charmed", "holy" or "enchanted isles". The group is also known as Na h-Eileanan Mòra, "the big isles". The main islands are Garbh Eilean ("rough island") and Eilean an Taighe ("house island"), which are joined by a narrow isthmus, and Eilean Mhuire ("island of the Virgin Mary") to the east. Eilean an Taighe was called Eilean na Cille ("island of the church") prior to the 19th century. A 17th-century chart by John Adair and several other 18th-century charts call Garbh Eilean Nunaltins Isle, Eilean Mhuire St Marys Isle and Eilean an Taighe St Columbs Isle. This last name suggests that the chapel on Eilean an Taighe might have been dedicated to St Columba. The meaning of Nunaltins remains Shiant Islands lie east of the Sound of Shiant. Garbh Eilean and Eilean an Taighe together extend to 143 hectares (350 acres);[3] the much more fertile Eilean Mhuire extends to 75 hectares (190 acres). In addition to these main islands, there is a line of Galtachan rocks that lie to the west: Galta Beag, Bodach, Stacan Laidir, Galta Mòr, Sgeir Mhic a' Ghobha and Damhag. Geologically, these islands are an extension of the Trotternish peninsula of Skye. Their rocks are volcanic, and, at 60 million years old, very young compared with other Hebridean rocks. Dolerite columns on the north side of Garbh Eilean are over 120 metres (390 feet) tall and about 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in diameter. They are much higher in places than those at Staffa and the Giant's Causeway, but similar in that they were formed by the slow cooling of volcanic rocks deep underground Intrusive sills exhibit a progression in their chemical compositions, from olivine-rich rocks at the base, to rocks with very little or no olivine at the top. The sills are thought to have been formed by crystal settling. Recent study has suggested that at least one of the sills is an example of a multiple intrusion.
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Keywords: island, islands, isle, isles, pivate, scotland, scottish, shiant, uk
