Mealista

Mealista
Scottish Gaelic: Mealasta

Mealasta beach
Mealista
 Mealista shown within the Outer Hebrides
LanguageScottish Gaelic
English
OS grid referenceNA991241
Civil parishUig
Council areaNa h-Eileanan Siar
Lieutenancy areaWestern Isles
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town ISLE OF LEWIS
Postcode district HS2
Dialling code 01851
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK ParliamentNa h-Eileanan an Iar
Scottish ParliamentNa h-Eileanan an Iar
List of places
UK
Scotland

Coordinates: 58°06′14″N 7°06′29″W / 58.104°N 7.108°W / 58.104; -7.108

Mealista (Scottish Gaelic: Mealasta) was a township in the west of the Isle of Lewis. It is currently largely uninhabited due to the Highland Clearances, which occurred there in 1838.[1]

Mealista is a name of Norse origin, melr-stadhr, meaning 'lyme-grass steading'.[1] Mealasta lends its name to Eilean Mhealasta which is just to the southwest. The area of Mealasta is known to be the location of a medieval settlement, with a possible nunnery on the headland.[2]

During World War II, fourteen of the survivors of the merchant ship SS Geraldine Mary reached shore at Mealista in August 1940.[3] The ship had been torpedoed, off the coast of Ireland, by the German U-Boat U-52.[4][5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Mealista". Hebridean Connections. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. "Data structure report of small-scale sampling at Mealasta, Lewis, Western Isles of Scotland.". Durham University. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. "Mealasta Beaches". Welcome to Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. "Canadian & Newfoundland Merchantmen Lost Due to Enemy Actions in WWII.". Battle of the Atlantic. Retrieved 21 December 2014. line feed character in |title= at position 36 (help)
  5. "Watson's Really Big WWII Almanac". Google Books. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  6. "Geraldine Mary". uboat.net. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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