The Oa

The Oa (/ˈoʊ/ OH)[1] (Scottish Gaelic: An Obha) is a rocky peninsula in the southwest of the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland.

The area is roughly circular, and connects with the rest of the island at a relatively narrow neck, which runs between Kintra and Port Ellen.

The Oa had a population of 800 people in 1830, but became deserted due to the Highland Clearances.

[2] The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the American Red Cross to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918 – the liner Tuscania and the armed merchant cruiser HMS Otranto.

[2] The area around the memorial is an RSPB nature reserve,[3] where chough, golden eagles, corn crakes, and sea birds can be seen.

The Oa peninsula, from the air, in 2014. Port Ellen is on the bay in the upper right. Islay Airport is at the top left.
Waterfall at the Mull of Oa