Torsay

(Torsa)

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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Torsay, one of the Slate Islands in Kilbrandon and Kilchattan parish, Argyllshire. It is separated by only narrow straits from Seil on the N, the mainland on the W, and Luing on the E. The strait between it and Luing offers a communication across, from ebb till half-tide, by a rocky bar not 100 yards in breadth; and is rendered so intricate and whirling by rocks and rocky islets, that the tide sweeps it with great rapidity, and in a perfect dance of complicated movement. The island is an irregular ellipsoid, the longer axis extending NE and SW; and it measures 3 miles by 1, having an area of 275 acres. Its surface exhibits one smooth green hill, 200 feet high, and a ridge of still lower elevation on the W, both- descending in gentle slopes to the sea. The whole of its E side, excepting a few trap rocks, and a little greywacke, consists of the same clay-slate as that for which Luing and Seil are celebrated. Pop. (1871) 20, (1881) 10.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer