The Scares

The Scares
Gaelic name Unknown
Norse name Unknown
Location
The Scares
The Scares shown within Scotland
OS grid reference NX259332
Physical geography
Island group Outlier
Area <1 ha
Highest elevation 21 metres (69 ft)[1]
Administration
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Country Scotland
Council area Dumfries and Galloway
Demographics
Population Uninhabitable

The Scares or the Scare Rocks are rocky islets in Luce Bay off the coast of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. By far the largest is Big Scare. There is a small outlying rock to its west and three companion islets called the Little Scares are about 1 km to the north east.[2] Big Scare is 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south west of Port William and a similar distance east of the Mull of Galloway.

The schooner Annie Mclester was wrecked on Big Scare at an unknown date in the 19th century.[3] On 27 January 1849 the 400 ton barque Archibald of Memel, was wrecked on the Little Scares.[4] In September 1860 a small round-sterned four-oared boat, was picked up near to Big Scare. The parent vessel had presumably been lost in the vicinity although no record of this is known.[2]

There is an MOD firing range in the area with brightly coloured floating targets deployed. The southern limit is marked by buoys 1.75 nautical miles (3.24 kilometres; 2.01 miles) SSE of The Scares.[1]

The islands are part of Luce Bay and Sands SAC and are leased to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. They have been described as an "inaccessible bird reserve" and provide nesting sites for more than 2,000 pairs of breeding northern gannets, hundreds of guillemots and smaller numbers of shags and kittiwakes.[1][5][6]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "St Bees Head to Mull of Galloway - pilot info" ukriversguidebook.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Unknown: Big Scare, Luce Bay, Solway Firth" RCAHMS. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "Annie Mclester: The Scares, Luce Bay, Solway Firth" RCAHMS. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Archibald: Big Scare, Luce Bay, Solway Firth" RCAHMS. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Luce Bay and Sands" (pdf) Solway Firth Partnership. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  6. ↑ Note: There is no mention of this reserve on the RSPB website.

Coordinates: 54°40′N 4°42′W / 54.667°N 4.700°W / 54.667; -4.700

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