The Inner Sound towards the mainland of Scotland

Music - The Dark Island by Jenny Masterson - Harp

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_k01qnRyUw

The Inner Sound is a strait separating the Inner Hebridean islands of Skye, Raasay and South Rona from the Applecross peninsula on the Scottish mainland. The Sound is approximately 30 km long and up to 10 km wide.

The Inner Sound includes the deepest section of the UK's territorial waters, with a maximum depth of 1,062 feet. An area, over 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and up to 0.25 miles (0.40 km) wide, exists below a depth of 960 feet (290 m), with a relatively flat bottom. There is another cleft 828 feet (252 m) deep, separated from the deeper bowl by an area of shallower water. A dive to examine the deeper trench found the bottom to be made up of bioturbated mud, with a steep slope towards the west of up to 60°.

Its Gaelic name, An Lighe Rathairseach, should not be confused with An Linne Rathairseach (the Sound of Raasay), its western neighbour. Together, they can be considered as southeastern arms of the Little Minch.

The Inner Sound is the location of BUTEC, a Royal Navy submarine sensor and emissions range.

Island of Scalpay

Scalpay (Scottish Gaelic: Sgalpaigh) is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
Separated from the east coast of Skye by Loch na Cairidh, Scalpay rises to 396 metres (1,299 ft) at Mullach na Càrn. It has an area of just under 25 square kilometres (9.7 sq mi). The island had a population of ten usual residents in 2001 and of four in 2011.

Scalpay is privately owned and operates a red deer farm, shooting estate and holiday cottages. Much of Scalpay is covered with heather, while other areas are conifer forestry plantations.

Mac an Tàilleir (2003) suggests the name derives from "ship island" from the Norse. However, Haswell-Smith states that the Old Norse name was Skalprøy, meaning "scallop island".

Island of Longay

Covering an area of 50 ha (124 acres), the island of Longay is situated to the east of Scalpay, north of Pabay and in the Inner Sound, between the mainland and the Isle of Skye. Associated with pirates in the 16th Century, who plundered many of the ships traversing the Inner Sound, the island was once heavily forested, though now it is used for sheep pasture. It is uninhabited apart from countless seabirds. The name Longay means 'longship island'.