Gaelic name Beul na h-Uamha OS grid reference NM713127 Country Scotland Highest elevation 22 m Council area Argyll and Bute | Meaning of name The mouth of the cave Sovereign state United Kingdom Population 0 Island group Slate Islands Lieutenancy area Argyll and Bute | |
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Belnahua is one of the Slate Islands, in the Firth of Lorn in Scotland, known for its slate quarries
Map of Belnahua, United Kingdom
It lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north west of Luing west of Argyll, and east of the Garvellachs. Although it once had a population of nearly 200 people, it has been uninhabited since World War I. Famed for its slate, the island has been considerably denuded by its quarrying. Deep water-filled cuttings and the ruined slate workers cottages remain as a testament of this industry.
There was a jetty to the east of the island, but it has been worn away within the last quarter of the twentieth century, and an extensive drying reef to the north west. The Latvian vessel Helena Faulbaums foundered on the reef in 1936, with the loss of 16 lives.
A quiet home for local wildlife, the island is occasionally a stop off for local fisher folk and tourists. It is currently owned by the Carling family.