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Swona is an uninhabited island in the Pentland Firth off the north coast of Scotland. ==Geography and geology== Swona is the more northerly of two islands in the Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and Caithness on the Scottish mainland. It lies in the southern approach to Scapa Flow, west of South Ronaldsay. Situated in the tidal stream of the Pentland Firth, a tidal race is present at both the north and south ends of the island, being minimal briefly at the turn of the tide. Between the races is a calm eddy which extends down-tide as the tide strengthens. The races are highly visible, with over-falls and whirlpools. Large swell waves can also be present, especially in bad weather conditions. When entering or leaving the eddies crossing the races, even large powerful vessels can be pushed off course, such is the demarcation between the relatively calm eddy and the fast-moving tide in the races. Swona is about long by about wide, with a maximum height of approximately and an area of about . It is made up of Old Red Sandstone with cliffs on the east coast.〔 It is administered as part of the Orkney Islands, while Stroma, to the south, is part of the Highland Region (although traditionally part of Caithness). There is no regular access to the island, however, the Pentland Ferries sailing from Gills Bay, near John o' Groats, to St Margaret's Hope usually passes close to the island, dependent on the tidal direction at the time. In 2005 Swona was owned by two Orkney farmers, but not worked due to difficulty of access. It is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) conservation area with a number of rare plants. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Swona」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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