Belnahua

Belnahua is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn off Argyll and Bute. It lies two kilometres west of Luing and three kilometres east of Dùn Chonnuill in the Garvellachs. The island covers about six hectares and is mostly flat, with steep cliffs on its western side. Its bedrock is a Neoproterozoic slate that has been quarried since the 16th century. The island’s slate was first recorded in Donald Monro’s 1549 Description of the Western Isles of Scotland. Belnahua is part of the Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs National Scenic Area. The island’s slate quarries once supported over 150 people under the Stevenson family in the 19th century. Quarrying began in 1632, and workers lived in cottages with a school and company store in the south-east corner. The Stevenson brothers leased the island to supply slate for Oban’s growth. By the early 19th century, slate was shipped to Campbeltown in Kintyre. Quarry work stopped in 1914 and the island was abandoned, leaving ruins and machinery in the flooded quarries. Today, Belnahua is uninhabited and home only to wildlife. The ruined buildings and water-filled quarries mark the island’s industrial past. The islet of Fladda lies 500 metres southeast, with its lighthouse serving as a sea-mark. Strong tidal streams make the area hazardous for shipping. In 1936, the Latvian vessel Helēna Faulbaums was wrecked here, with the loss of 15 lives. The island’s dramatic cliffs and quarries create a stark, remote landscape.