Kirkibost

57°34′N 7°25′W / 57.56°N 7.42°W / 57.56; -7.42Physical geographyIsland groupUists and BarraArea205Area rank105= ^[1]Highest elevation7 mAdministrationSovereign stateUnited KingdomCountryScotlandCouncil areaOuter HebridesDemographicsPopulation0

References^[2]^[3]^[4]

Kirkibost (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Chirceaboist) is a low-lying island west of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.^[5]

Geography

Kirkibost, along with neighbouring Baleshare, is covered by a machair system of coastal plains covered with shell sand, part covered by grass, with some sand dunes, fens and peat. Together with Baleshare, it forms part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.^[6] The small islands of Eilean Mòr, Bior-eilean and Sròmaigh lie between Kirkibost and North Uist.^[4]

Wildlife

The island is important for corncrakes, various wading birds and overwintering wildfowl.^[6]

Economy

Kirkibost has been cultivated in the past, but is now used only for seasonal cattle grazing.^[6]

References

^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent and 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census.
^ NRS1C
^ Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate.
^ ^a ^b Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure.
^ Gittings, Bruce; Munro, David. "Kirkibost". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c Scottish Natural Heritage (2011). "SSSI Management Statement: Baleshare & Kirkibost SSSI". Retrieved 10 December 2020.