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Little Cumbrae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Little Cumbrae (Scottish Gaelic Cumaradh Beag) is an island in the Firth of Clyde, in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The island is known locally as Wee Cumbrae.
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Wee Cumbrae lies barely a kilometre to the south of its larger neighbour, Great Cumbrae, at grid reference NS145515. The islands are collectively referred to as The Cumbraes. The island is 3.13 square kilometres in size and rises to a height of 123 metres at central Lighthouse Hill.
In stark contrast to its neighbour, green and fertile Great Cumbrae, Wee Cumbrae is a rough and rocky island. With its many cliffs and rocky outcrops Wee Cumbrae bears more of a resemblance to a Hebridean island than to some of its neighbours in the Clyde.
A number of uninhabited islets skirt the island's east coast, Castle Isle, the Broad Islands and Trail Isle.
Today the island's main settlement is at Little Cumbrae House on the eastern shore, facing the Scottish mainland.
Robert II is said to have built a castle on the island which was demolished by Cromwell's soldiers in 1653.
Cumbrae Lighthouse was built in 1793 by Thomas Smith who was under commission from the Commissioners of the Northern Lights. The lighthouse lies on a broad raised beach on the western shore of the island looking out into the Firth.
Prior to the creation of the lighthouse, Little Cumbrae had an open fire light atop Lighthouse Hill. This extremely old structure can still be seen to this day (see picture).
Little Cumbrae was privately purchased in 2003 and there were plans for its development as a memorial park, nature reserve and corporate escape.