Little Cumbrae
From Free net encyclopedia
Little Cumbrae is an island in the Firth of Clyde, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The island is known locally as Wee Cumbrae. Little Cumbrae is currently up for sale for £3 million.
Geography
Image:Little Cumbrae.JPG Wee Cumbrae lies just to the south of its larger neighbour, Great Cumbrae, at Template:Gbmapping. The islands are collectively referred to as The Cumbraes. The island is 3.13 square kilometres in size and rises to a height of 123 metres at central Lighthouse Hill.
In stark contrast to its neighbour, green and fertile Great Cumbrae, Wee Cumbrae is a rough and rocky island. With its many cliffs and rocky outcrops Wee Cumbrae bears more of a resemblance to a Hebridean island than to some of its neighbours in the Clyde.
A number of uninhabited islets skirt the island's east coast, Castle Isle, the Broad Islands and Trail Isle.
Today the island's main settlement is at Cumbrae House on the eastern shore.
The Lighthouse
Cumbrae Lighthouse was built in 1793 by Thomas Smith who was under commission from the Commissioners of the Northern Lights. The lighthouse lies on a broad raised beach on the western shore of the island looking out into the Firth.
Prior to the creation of the lighthouse, Little Cumbrae had an open fire light atop Lighthouse Hill. This extremely old structure can still be seen to this day (see picture).
Little Cumbrae was privately purchased in 2003 and is to be developed as a memorial park, nature reserve and corporate escape.