Horse Isle is a vacant island off the coast of Ardrossan, situated in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland. Horse Isle serves a dual purpose, one being a natural shelter from dangerous weather for the Androssan harbor and a nature reserve for protected water fowl. The rocky areas around the island, form a natural barrier where the hazards from rising sea levels and storms can be lessened, providing a far less damaging consequence to Ardrossan’s harbor, protecting a major economic center for its citizens.
This natural barrier also has its dangers, for Horse Isle has historically been a place where many ships ran aground or sank due to its rocky shears and coastal dangers. The local historians believe that the presence of a derelict tower, the only man made land mark on Horse Isle ,was used as a lighthouse because of this threat, located at the south end of the island. A number of ships have been lost over the years including the brigs: Minerva in 1821, the Morning Star in 1871, and the tugboat Brigadier in 1960. The island still possesses the same dangers today although shipping lanes have since changed so that the occurrence of another wreck is highly unlikely. The two smaller islands known as North Islet and East Islet, run across its eastern coast with a number of other outcroppings stretching towards the mainland. A survey was conducted by the Eglinton Estates under John Ainslie in 1788, recording the name ‘Robinson’s Rock’ off the East Islet and ‘Witherow’s Rock’ around its West side. Horse Isle it self is no higher than 13 feet above sea level and one kilometer from the western most point of Ardrossan.
Horse Isle is now a nature reserve ran by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Some of the various species it caters to are: Herrings, Black Backed Sea Gulls, and Eider ducks. The island has been designated with special protections because of sea birds and the assorted waterfowls that use its beaches as breeding, nesting and winter grounds. It is because of this that the island itself is left alone, preventing anything from disturbing or destroying the bird’s habitats.
