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Taransay lies on the west coast of Scotland at latitude 57.8995°N and longitude 7.0167°W. It is part of the Harris parish and governed by the Western Isles council. Taransay is in the traditional county of Inverness-shire and lies two miles (3 km) from the Isle of Harris, separated by a stretch of sea called the Sound of Taransay. Crossings between the two islands are dependant on calm weather and there no harbours for large boats on either island. Taransay is four miles (6 km) long, and, at its widest point, 3 miles (5 km) across, covering over 3500 acres (14 km²).
Taransay is made up of two 750 ft (230 m) heather-covered hills connected by a white sandy isthmus in the south of the island. It overlooks the bays of Luskyntyre and Seilibost bay to the east, with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The bays are bordered with sandy beaches and machair dunes. The island hosts a variety of birds, but other wildlife is limited to Red Deer, mice and mink. It is, however, noted for its flora, with an abundance of wild flowers growing on the island's grasslands. The area is mostly gneiss rock, with granite veins. The highest point of the island is Ben Raah at 876 feet (267m).
The Isle of Taransay has been inhabited since 300 AD. Originally home to Celtic pagans, Christianity was established on Taransay around 750Events Last Umayyad caliph Marwan II ( 744-750) overthrown by first Abbasid caliph, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah 750 750s. AD. In 900Alternate uses, see Number 900. Events Gyeonhwon formally establishes the kingdom of Hubaekje in southwestern Korea. Births Deaths August 13 Zwentibold, last King of Lotharingia Donald II, King of the Scots and Picts; succeeded by Constantine II. AD, Taransay was taken over by Vikings when they invaded Scotland. 1544Events April 11 Battle of Ceresole French forces under the Comte d'Enghien defeat Imperial forces under the Marques Del Vasto near Turin. May Emperor Charles V again invades eastern France June 19 August 18 Imperial siege of St. Dizier in eastern France J saw the Massacre of Taransay by the Morrisons of LewisVisit and Contribute to the. This article is about Lewis in Scotland. For other uses of the name, see Lewis (disambiguation). Lewis ( Scottish Gaelic: Leodhais is the northern part of the main island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. Its main settlement,. Inhabitants from the island of BernerayThere are two islands named Berneray in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland: Berneray near Barra (also known as Barra Head) Berneray near North Uist. retaliated against this, forcing the Morrisons to retreat to a rock where they were executed. The rock was later called Sgeir Bhuailte, meaning smitten-rock.
Taransay was once made up of three villages; Raa, Uidh and Paible. Rent increases in 1835Events January 1 Ole Pedersen Hoiland breaks into the Bank of Norway and steals 64. 000 dalers January 7 HMS Beagle anchors off the Chonos Archipelago. January 30 Unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Andrew Jackson in the United States Cap caused a large decrease in the population of Taransay, made worse in 1883Events January January 16 The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, establishing the United States Civil service, is passed January 19 The first electric lighting system employing overhead wires begins service ( Roselle, New Jersey) It was built by Thomas E by new orders that cotter households were no longer allowed to keep livestock or grows oats or barley. By 1961, the island was left with only one family; The MacRae's, living in the village of Paible. They departed in 1974 following the death of Ewen Macrae.
Taransay remained uninhabited until 2000 when the island was revived in order to host the television programme Castaway 2000. During the uninhabited years, the island had been used as a sheep-farm, run from the Harris mainland.
From 2001, when the Castaway show ended, Taransay has been a tourist resort, with the buildings being let as holiday accommodation, and boat trips to the island.
Evidence that Vikings settled on the island can be derived from its name, as the word is an old Norse translation of "the Isle of Taran". The island was most probably named after the Irish Saint Ternan (also known as Taran or Torannan, see also Taranis), although another theory, reported by Saint Adomnan of Iona , suggests that Taran may have been the son of a Noble Pictish family. The first is generally seen as the more plausible, backed up by the fact that a chapel on the island is named after the Saint.
The village of Paible has two ancient chapels; the chapel of Saint Taran and the chapel of Saint Keith. The former was used for the burial of women, and the latter for men. A traditional myth on the island suggests that if this was reversed, the dead would rise and the bodies would be disinterred.