subject: The Shipping Forecast - The Western Area, Lundy To South East Iceland [print this page] Lundy to the South East of Iceland is the Western Area of the shipping forecast.
One of the other main features of the shipping forecast on Radio 4 is its infamous intro music 'Sailing By', by Ronald Binge. This music has become synonymous with the shipping forecast being important and vital to sailors it is also listened to by many Radio 4 listeners as it has been known for its soothing qualities.
Lundy
This is the largest island in the Bristol Channel. Lundy Island gives the sea area Lundy its name. It is 3 by 0.75 kilometres at its widest and is situated off the Devon coast. It only has a population of around 28 people. It has also been voted in 2005 as Britain's tenth great natural wonder. Lundy comes from the old Norse for Puffin Island but has also been linked with the term 'Lund' which means a wooded area.
Fastnet
In Irish it is known as Carraig Aonair which literally means 'solitary rock'. Fastnet Rock is a small island in the Atlantic Ocean and is at the most southerly tip of Ireland. It is 13 kilometres from Cork on the West coast of Ireland and was originally known as Ireland's tear-drop as it was the last thing emigrants could see as they left Ireland for New York.
Irish Sea
This is the stretch of sea that separates Ireland and Great Britain. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean towards the East coast of America and is occasionally referred to as the Manx Sea. The Irish Sea is part of the goods trade taking cargo to Holyhead and Fishguard. There is also an offshore wind farm off the coast of County Wicklow towards the South of the Irish Sea.
Shannon
Named after the River Shannon in Ireland which is the longest river in the whole of Southern Ireland. The River Shannon acts as a divide from the West of the country to the East and South. Named after a Celtic goddess, Sionna, the river has less than 20 crossing points. It runs through 11 of Ireland's 29 counties and started its life at the end of the Ice Age.
Rockall
A tiny and uninhabited island off the North Atlantic Ocean. Rockall is thought to have been the debris of a now extinct volcano. The scientist James Fisher has deemed Rockall as the 'most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world'. There is much dispute over who actually owns Rockall as Denmark, Iceland, Ireland and the United Kingdom all lay claim on it. It has been the cause of many disasters due to its size and location.
Malin
This sea area is named after Malin Head which is the most Northern part of Ireland in Donegal. It is on the Inishowen Peninsula and has an existing lighthouse that was first used in 1959. The Malin Head is one of the only places in Europe where you can hear a Corn Crake.
Hebrides
There are two main parts to the Hebrides, the Outer and the Inner. They are Islands off the West coast of Scotland and date back to the Mesolithic time. The main economy on these islands are now fishing, tourism, oil and renewable energy.
Bailey
Bailey is a sandbank which sits between Scotland and Ireland. Located in the North Atlantic Ocean it is simply a sandbank with not much nature or history to shout about.
Fairisle
An island in Northern Scotland, Fairisle is situated halfway from Shetland and Orkney. It is renowned for its bird watching and also for a specific type of knitting. It is also known for being one of the most remote yet inhabited islands in the UK. It has a population of around 67 and is known to have one of the roughest crossings in the whole of Europe.
Faeroes
This sea are in the shipping forecast is names after a group of islands in the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic sea. They are located around halfway between Scotland and Iceland and are a self-governing territory. Despite being small islands they have a population of 50,000 Viking descendants. The Faeroes Islands have been under Danish control since 1388. They are hit by heavy rain throughout most of the year.
South East Iceland
The last sea area in the Shipping Forecast. Its name is aptly given due to it being located in the South East of Iceland in the Atlantic. A very cold and icy stretch it is one of the longest parts of coastline in the shipping forecast area.
by: Simon White
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