Ailsa Craig | ||
This distinctive dome-shaped island-rock lies 10 miles (16 km) off the coast of South Ayrshire and rises sharply from the Firth of Clyde to a height of 340m (1114 feet). Ailsa Craig, which comes from the Gaelic for 'Fairy Rock', is 1200m (1300 yards) long and 800m (900 yards) wide, with an area of 100 Ha (245 acres). It is also known as Paddy's Milestone owing to its position as a landmark en route from Ireland. The island was the heart of an ancient volcano, its rock exhibiting fine columnar structure and was renown as the source of a superior micro-granite used to fashion curling stones.
Indeed, most curling stones still in use today were made from Ailsa Craig granite. The island is accessible by boat from Girvan. Further information: |
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