Rockall
Rockall is a small, rocky island in the North Atlantic but is probably better known as one of the British Sea Areas. Its status is disputed, being claimed by the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland. By itself, the island does not have much importance, but the seas around it are considered very valuable. Therefore, it is also an important question whether Rockall is considered habitable. If so, its owner can claim 200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone; if not, the claim can go no further than Rockall's territorial waters.
The origin of the name is debatable but it has been suggested that it derives from the Gaelic " " which is often translated as "Roaring Rock" although "rocail" is more usually translated as "tearing" or "ripping" (see link).
The rock is the summit of an extinct volcano and is located at 57°35'48"N 13°41'19"W, about 480 km (300 miles) west of Manish Point, North Uist in Scotland. The rock is about 83 feet (25 metres) wide at its base and rises sheer to a height of approximately 22 metres (72 feet). It is regularly washed over by large storm waves, particularly in winter. There is a small ledge of 3.5 metres by 1.3 metres (11 feet by 4 feet), known as Hall's Ledge, 4 metres (13 feet) from the summit. The rock's only permanent inhabitants are periwinkles and other marine molluscs. Small numbers of seabirds, mainly Fulmars, Gannets, Kittiwakes, and Guillemots, use the rock for resting in summer, and Gannets and Guillemots occasionally breed successfully if the summer is calm with no storm waves washing over the rock.
The earliest recorded human landing on the island was in 1810; the next was not until 1888. On 18 September 1955 the island was officially annexed by Britain when Lieutenant Commander Desmond Scott RN from HMS Vidal was deposited on the island by a Royal Navy helicopter. He cemented in a brass plaque and hoisted the Union Jack to stake the British claim. On 10 February 1972 the Isle of Rockall Act received Royal Assent to make the island part of Inverness-shire, fully incorporating it into the United Kingdom. A navigational beacon was later installed on the island and Britain declared that no ship would be allowed within a 50-mile radius of the rock. In 1985 former SAS member and survival expert Tom Mclean lived on the island for 40 days to affirm Britain's right to the island.
Greenpeace occupied the islet for a short time in 1997, calling it Waveland, to protest against oil exploration. The project continued until 1999, when the company sponsoring it collapsed and the experiment ended.
Rockall is also close to the Darwin Mounds, deep-water coral mounds about 185 km (115 miles) north-west of Cape Wrath.
Reference
- Birds breeding on Rockall. British Birds 86: 16-17, 320-321 (1993).
