Ailsa Craig, S Ayrshire - Valentines postcard c.1960s

Postcard
• Picture / Image:  Ailsa Craig, South Ayrshire - from Bennane Head
• Publisher:  Valentines (C.280)
• Postally used:  no - has photo library stamp
• Stamp:  n/a
• Postmark(s): n/a
• Sent to:  n/a
• Notes / condition: 

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Text from the free encyclopedia WIKIPEDIA may appear below to give a little background information (internal links may not  work) :

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Ailsa Craig (/'e?ls?/; Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an island of 219.69 acres in the outer Firth of Clyde, 10 miles from mainland Scotland, upon-which blue hone granite was quarried to make curling stones. The now uninhabited island is formed from the volcanic plug of an extinct volcano.

The island, colloquially known as ""Paddy's milestone"",^[6] 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.

The island is owned by The 8th Marquess of Ailsa, but since May 2011 has been up for sale. By March 2013 the asking price was for offers over £1,500,000, down from the original asking price of £2,500,000.^[6][7][8]

An early reference to the rock is made by Sir Donald Monro, Archdeacon of the Isles who referred to the rock as ""Elsay"" in the 16th century.^[9] The modern name of the island is an anglicisation of the Gaelic, Aillse Creag meaning ""fairy rock"".^[3] An alternative Gaelic name is Creag Ealasaid meaning ""Elizabeth's rock"".^[3][5] The first element, Aillse may represent Allt Shasann, ""cliff of the English"", mentioned in the Book of Leinster as Aldasain.^[10][11]

The island is sometimes known as ""Paddy's Milestone"",^[5][12] being approximately the halfway point of the sea journey from Belfast to Glasgow, a traditional route of emigration for many Irish labourers coming to Scotland to seek work.

As a result of being the most conspicuous landmark in the channel between Ireland and Scotland, the island is known by a number of different names;

• A' Chreag: ""the rock""^[5]
• Creag Alasdair: ""Alasdair's rock""^[3]
• Ealasaid a' Chuain: ""Elizabeth of the ocean""^[5]
• Alasan^[5]
• Carraig Alasdair: ""Alasdair's Rock"" (used in the Madness of Sweeney, the tale of a legendary king of Ireland).^[3]

The Bass Rock is sometimes nicknamed ""the Ailsa Craig of the East"",^[13] although its prominence in the Firth of Forth is not as great as that of Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde.

The island, which is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of Girvan, is 2 mi (3.2 km) in circumference and rises to a height of 338 m (1,109 ft).

Geologically Ailsa Craig is the remains of a volcanic plug from an extinct volcano. It stands out because all younger sedimentary rocks covering Southwest Scotland have long since been eroded away. But the island survived erosion because it is composed of much harder igneous rocks from the Palaeogene era (65,000,000 years ago). The plug, which is composed of granite, is all that remains from the massive volcanic activity which accompanied the continental drift that formed the Atlantic Ocean. Dykes of similar age can be found in Scotland through other older rocks such as the extensive Cleveland and Eskdalemuir dykes. Though only a few metres across, these volcanic dykes can be traced all the way from northern England back to an ancient supervolcano on the Isle of Mull.^[14]

Research has shown that the granite on Ailsa Craig has an unusual crystalline composition that has a distinctive appearance but a uniform hardness. These properties has made the island's rock a great favourite material for curling stones.^[15]

The island is part of the administrative district of South Ayrshire, in the ancient parish of Dailly.

The only surviving buildings on the island is its lighthouse on its east coast facing the Scottish mainland, and a ruined towerhouse, that was built by Clan Hamilton to protect the area from King Felipe II of Spain in the 16th century.^[7]

type=real photographic (rp)

theme=topographical: british

sub-theme=scotland

county/ country=ayrshire

number of items=single

period=1945 - present

postage condition=unposted