Ulva

This article is about the island of Scotland. For other uses, see Ulva (disambiguation).

Ulva
Scottish Gaelic nameUlbha
Pronunciation[ˈul̪ˠu(v)ə] ⓘ
Old Norse nameUlv-øy/Ulfrsey
Meaning of nameOld Norse for 'wolf island' or 'Ulfr's island'
The Boathouse
The Boathouse
Location
Ulva is located in Argyll and Bute
Ulva
Ulva
Ulva shown within Argyll and Bute
OS grid referenceNM410396
Coordinates56°28′49″N 06°12′18″W / 56.48028°N 6.20500°W / 56.48028; -6.20500
Physical geography
Island groupMull
Area1,990 ha (7+5⁄8 sq mi)
Area rank35 [1]
Highest elevationBeinn Chreagach 313 m (1,027 ft)
Administration
Council areaArgyll and Bute
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population11[2]
Population rank68 [1]
Population density0.55/km2 (1.4/sq mi)
Largest settlementUlva House (once Ormaig)
Lymphad
References[3][4][5][6]

Ulva (/ˈʌlvə/; Scottish Gaelic: Ulbha) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from Cenozoic basalt rocks, which are formed into columns in places.

Ulva has been populated since the Mesolithic period, and there are various Neolithic remains on the island. The Norse occupation of the island in the Early Middle Ages has left few tangible artefacts but did bequeath the island its name, which is probably from Ulvoy, meaning "wolf island". Celtic culture was a major influence during both Pictish and Dalriadan times as well as the post-Norse period when the islands became part of modern Scotland. This long period, when Gaelic became the dominant language, was ended by the 19th-century Clearances. At its height, Ulva had a population of over 800, but by May 2019, this had declined to 5; some increase in the number of residents was expected in future, with the re-population plan that was to commence in 2020.[7]

Numerous well-known individuals have connections with the island including David Livingstone, Samuel Johnson and Walter Scott, who drew inspiration from Ulva for his 1815 poem, The Lord of the Isles. Wildlife is abundant: cetaceans are regularly seen in the surrounding waters and over 500 species of plant have been recorded. Today there is a regular ferry service and tourism is the mainstay of the economy. In March 2018 the Scottish Land Fund pledged £4.4 million towards a community buyout of the island,[8] and the North West Mull Community Woodland Company took ownership of the island on 21 June 2018.[9]

  1. ^ a b Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc20210519 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 102-05
  4. ^ MacKenzie, Donald W. R. (16 May 2000) As It Was/Sin Mar a Bha: A Ulva Boyhood Birlinn Ltd ISBN 978-1-84158-042-5
  5. ^ Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  6. ^ National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Scottish isle of Ulva, population 5". CBC Radio. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Ulva buyout plan receives £4.4m boost from Scottish Land Fund". Press and Journal. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Ulva celebrates historic buyout". The National. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.