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Raasay (Scottish Gaelic: Ratharsair) is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. The uninhabited small island of South Rona lies just off the north coast. It is most famous for being the home of the poet, Sorley MacLean, often seen as being part of the Scottish Renaissance.
"Raasay" means Isle of the Roe (or Red) Deer. It is sometimes written "Ratharsaigh" in Gaelic, but this is really a Gaelicisation of the English; the proper Gaelic is "Ratharsair", and appears in Sorley MacLean's writings.
General information
About fourteen miles (22.5 km) north to south and three miles (5 km) east to west (at its widest), its terrain is varied. The highest point at 1456 feet (443 m) is Dun Caan, an unusual, flat-topped peak. The village of Inverarish is near the southeast coast. A portion of the village served as a prisoner-of-war camp for Germans during the World War I. The prisoners were used to work the iron mine on the island (inactive since shortly after that time). Currently, the primary employment is in fish farming, working for the ferry company, or commuting to jobs in Portree on Skye. There is a primary school, but older students must get to Portree via ferry and bus.
Geologically interesting, the island is visited by many students engaged in mapping projects.
Sites of interest include the remains of a broch, the ruins of Brochel Castle, inscribed stones, the old manor house – Raasay House – visited by James Boswell and Samuel Johnson, the remains of several abandoned crofting communities, and many walking paths. Raasay is home to the Raasay vole (Clethrionomys glareolus erica), a subspecies of Bank Vole, which is darker and heavier than the mainland variety and found nowhere else in the world. It also supports a rich variety of plants and a good otter population.
A fifteen-minute ferry ride connects the island with Sconser on Skye. An excellent small shop and post office is located in Inverarish. Accommodation is available at the Isle of Raasay Hotel, the Raasay Outdoor Centre (located in Raasay House), a couple of B&Bs, and the Scottish Youth Hostels Association hostel, Creachan Cottage.
Many of the island's inhabitants belong to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland who strictly observe the sabbath; there are no services available on Sundays, the playground is closed, and (until 2004) the ferry did not run.
Sorley MacLean and Raasay
The poet Sorley MacLean was born in Osgaig, a small crofting community on the west coast of the island, and wrote a poem about Hallaig, an abandoned community on the east coast. MacLean's writings, often combines an ancient traditional awareness, with a modernist political outlook, in which Raasay, and the areas adjacent to it are frequently referenced. But while MacLean talks about the brutality of war, of the Highland Clearances and modern exploitation, he also writes about nature in Raasay such as the deer and woodlands of Hallaig. MacLean was to live much of his life off the island, but some of this was in nearby Sleat on Skye and Plockton on the neighbouring mainland.
"Raasay"