Ailsa Craig

Ailsa Craig is a small, uninhabited island in the outer Firth of Clyde, 16 kilometres west of the Scottish mainland. It covers just one square kilometre and rises to 340 metres at its highest point. The island is made of hard microgranite formed deep underground in the Palaeogene period. Its cliffs are steep and jagged, standing out against the softer surrounding rocks. Ailsa Craig is also known as Paddy’s Milestone because it lies halfway between Belfast and Glasgow. For centuries, Irish labourers travelling this route would see the island as a landmark on their journey. The island’s microgranite has been quarried for centuries to make curling stones. The rock is unusually hard and resistant to impact, making it ideal for the sport. Two types of Ailsa Craig granite were used: blue hone for the running band and common green for the body of the stone. The island was also a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century. Today, it is a protected bird sanctuary, home to thousands of gannets and an increasing number of puffins. Visitors to Ailsa Craig find a windswept landscape with few traces of human habitation. The only buildings still standing are a lighthouse, a ruined towerhouse built by the Hamiltons, and an old quarry manager’s house now used by the RSPB. The island has no electricity, gas, or sewage connections, relying instead on fresh-water springs. The cliffs are named in Gaelic, such as Craigna’an, meaning cliff of birds, and Garryloo, meaning rough hill. The views stretch across the Firth of Clyde to the mainland and the Isle of Arran.