| Scottish Gaelic name | Creag Ealasaid |
|---|---|
| Scots name | Ailsae Craig[1] |
| Meaning of name | Elizabeth's rock or Fairy rock |
 Ailsa Craig from the southeast | |
| Location | |
  Ailsa Craig Ailsa Craig shown within South Ayrshire | |
| OS grid reference | NX019997 |
| Coordinates | 55°15′07″N 05°06′59″W / 55.25194°N 5.11639°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Firth of Clyde |
| Area | 99 ha (240 acres)[2] |
| Area rank | 150=[2] [3] |
| Highest elevation | 338 m (1,109 ft) (a Marilyn) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | South Ayrshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0[4] |
 | |
| References | [2][5][6] |
Ailsa Craig (/ˈeɪlsə/; Scots: Ailsae Craig; Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an island of 99 ha (240 acres) in the outer Firth of Clyde, 16 km (8+1⁄2 nmi) west of mainland Scotland, upon which microgranite has long been quarried to make curling stones. The now-uninhabited island comprises the remains of a magmatic pluton formed during the same period of igneous activity as magmatic rocks on the nearby Isle of Arran.[7]
The island, colloquially known as "Paddy's Milestone",[8] was a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary, providing a home for huge numbers of gannets and an increasing number of puffins.
- ^ "Map of Scotland in Scots - Guide and gazetteer" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b c Haswell-Smith (2004) p.2
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
- ^ Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p.3
- ^ British Geological Survey (1987). "Geology, petrology and geochemistry of Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire". BGS Reports. 16 (9). Archived from the original on 3 May 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ BBC News (21 March 2013). "Ailsa Craig: Asking price reduced in Irish Sea island sale". Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.