Taransay
(Tarasaigh)

An island in the Western Isles, the windswept island of Taransay (Gael: Tarasaigh) lies a mile (1.5 km) to the west of South Harris from which it is separated by the Sound of Taransay. The island, which is 4 miles (7 km) long, has an area of 1475 ha (3645 acres) and rises to 267m (881 feet) at Beinn Raah. It comprises a large and a small part linked by a narrow sand dune neck. Taransay had a population of 76 in 1911 but was largely abandoned by 1942, the island's main settlement being at Paible close to the site of St Keith's Chapel and St Taran's Chapel. The island was used in 2000 as the setting for the BBC Television survival programme Castaway.

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