| Old Norse name | Grímsey[1] |
|---|---|
| Meaning of name | Grímr's Island |
 An aerial view of Graemsay, from aboveHoy | |
| Location | |
  Graemsay Graemsay shown within Orkney | |
| OS grid reference | HY255055 |
| Coordinates | 58°55′59″N3°17′00″W / 58.933°N 3.2833°W /58.933; -3.2833 |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Orkney Islands |
| Area | 409 ha (1.58 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 76 [2] |
| Highest elevation | West Hill 62 m (203 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Orkney |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 21[3] |
| Population rank | 59= [2] |
| Population density | 5.1 people/km2[3][4] |
| Largest settlement | Sandside |
 | |
| References | [4][5][6] |
Graemsay (/ˈɡreɪmziː/) is an island in the western approaches toScapa Flow, in theOrkney Islands ofScotland. The island has twolighthouses. Graemsay lies within theparish ofStromness.
Graemsay lies betweenHoy andStromness onMainland Orkney, separated from the Mainland byClestrain Sound. The island is 409 ha (1.58 sq mi) in area and is mainlycrofted.
The island's geology isOld Red Sandstone of theDevonian period, with two volcanic faults. On the north coast there isgranite-schist, a great rarity in Orkney.
Graemsay is surrounded by strongtidal races, known locally asroosts. AnOrkney Ferries service, usually operated byMV Graemsay, links the island with Stromness andMoaness onHoy.
Graemsay is sometimes referred to locally, as 'Orkney's green isle' due to its lush green vegetation cover.
Birds includeoystercatchers,ringed plovers,redshank andcurlew. Parts of the island are largely undeveloped and are a haven for wild plants.[citation needed]
As with many other Orkney Islands, there is a connection to theCeltic Church, possibly a pre-Norse one. There are the remains of two early churches, dedicated to St Bride and to St Columba.,[4] who are both saints of Irish origin.
The island has twolighthouses, Hoy High (NE) and Hoy Low (NW), both built in 1851 byAlan Stevenson[7] for the 19th-centuryherring industry.
At the Point of Oxan in the far north west, in Burra Sound, are block ships, which were scuttled deliberately duringWorld War II. This is a common feature of the straits and former straits aroundScapa Flow. A Coastal Defence Battery also sits at the point of Oxan, built in 1944, and guarding the western entrance to Scapa Flow, until the end of World War II.
Graemsay primary school was built in 1876 and once had a peak enrollment of 60 pupils. In the late 1990s the school had four staff to just one pupil, making it the most expensive state school in the United Kingdom.[8] The school closed in 1996. Today, the island's children travel daily by boat to school in Stromness on the ferryMV Graemsay.[4]
 | |
| Location | Graemsay,Orkney, Hoy and Graemsay, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| OS grid | HY2680906078 |
| Coordinates | 58°56′08″N3°16′23″W / 58.93567°N 3.27319°W /58.93567; -3.27319 |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1851 |
| Designed by | Alan Stevenson |
| Construction | stone (tower) |
| Automated | 1978 |
| Height | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Shape | cylinder |
| Markings | White (tower), black (lantern), ochre (trim) |
| Operator | Northern Lighthouse Board |
| Heritage | category A listed building |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Range | 20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi) (white), 16 nmi (30 km; 18 mi) (red) |
| Characteristic | Oc WR 8s |
 | |
| Location | Graemsay,Orkney, Hoy and Graemsay, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| OS grid | HY2470806643 |
| Coordinates | 58°56′25″N3°18′36″W / 58.940379°N 3.309999°W /58.940379; -3.309999 |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1851 |
| Designed by | Alan Stevenson |
| Construction | stone |
| Automated | 1973 |
| Height | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Operator | Northern Lighthouse Board |
| Heritage | category B listed building |
| Light | |
| Focal height | 17 m (56 ft) |
| Range | 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi) |
| Characteristic | Iso W 3s |
Two lighthouses are present on Graemsay: Hoy Sound Low and Hoy Sound High located at the extremities of the northern side of the island. The lights were built in 1851 on project byAlan Stevenson; both are cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern, even if of different heights, white painted with black lantern and the typical ochre trims.
The Hoy High Light, known as Graemsay Island Range Rear, is 33 metres (108 ft) high and has a white and redocculting light every 8 seconds depending on the directions.[9][10]
The Hoy Low Light (Graemsay Island Range Front) is 12 metres (39 ft) high and is distinguished by a whiteisophase light every 3 seconds. The two Range lighthouses direct the ships towards theHoy Sound from the Atlantic.
58°56′N3°17′W / 58.933°N 3.283°W /58.933; -3.283
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| International | |
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| Hoy Sound High Light |
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| Hoy Sound Low Light | |
