Ailsa Craig (Scottish Gaelic: Creag Ealasaid) is an island in the Firth of Clyde off the coast of Ayrshire in Scotland. It is colloquially known as "Paddy's Milestone" as it is roughly marks the halfway point of the sea journey from Belfast to Glasgow. Ailsa Craig is a spectacular landmark, rising steeply out of the sea up to 1,110 ft (340 m) at its peak. It can be seen from all along the Ayrshire coast, as well as Kintyre and from Northern Ireland, although it is only 3/4 of a mile long by 1/2 a mile wide.
Understand
From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, the island was quarried for its rare type of granite, known as "Ailsite" which was used to make curling stones. The floor of the Chapel of the Thistle in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh is also made of this rock.
Ailsa Craig is now uninhabited, the lighthouse having been automated in 1990. The quarry is still operated from time to time, but there are no resident workers. The island is now a bird sanctuary managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Huge numbers of gannets nest here and following a pioneering technique to eradicate the island's imported population of rats a growing number of puffins are choosing to return to the Craig from nearby Glunimore and Sheep Islands.
Get in
- There are no scheduled ferries, and the only way here is on a boat trip.
- MFV Glorious, ☏ 44 1465 713219, ✉[email protected]. Sails from Girvan in Ayrshire, offering trips around the island, and trips onto the island. It claims to operate daily, all year round, but some customers have found the schedule may vary due to weather conditions.
- Waverley is the world's last ocean-going paddle steamer, cruising around the Firth of Clyde in summer, including to Ailsa Craig. However in 2019 she needs a new boiler and was taken out of service: fundraising and some work has started.
Get around
Although there is a narrow gauge railway line once used by the miners, there are no actual trains on the island, so the only way to get around is by walking.
See
- 1 Ailsa Castle. Ruins of 16th-century castle
- 2 Ailsa Lighthouse. Automated, so don't bother knocking on the door!
- Old narrow-gauge railway line. From the mine.
Do
- Wildlife spotting. Especially the tens of thousands of seabirds that nest here in spring and early summer.
Eat
Bring everything you want to eat with you, as there are no catering facilities on the island.
Drink
Sleep
Plans have been mooted to convert the former miners' cottages into luxury holiday accommodation, but this has been opposed by conservation groups, so there is no accommodation on the island.
- Girvan. Closest town with hotels and holiday cottage rental in surrounding area.
Stay safe
Boats that operate trips to the island are generally open, or only partly covered, so it's important to take warm, windproof, waterproof clothing, at any time of year. The island is surrounded by steep cliffs, so care should be exercised at all times.