The Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland is a network of coastal waters, sounds, islands, and sea lochs. The International Hydrographic Organisation designates it as a marine area. The several waterbodies that comprise the Inner Seas lie between the Scottish Mainland, the Outer Hebrides Islands and the coast of Ireland.
Several Water bodies comprise the Inner Seas, including Minch and Little Minch, the Sound of Harris, the Inner Sound, the Sea of the Hebrides, the Firth of Lorn, the Sound of Jura, the Firth of Clyde, Belfast Lough and the North Channel.
This article will discuss some interesting facts about the Inner Seas.
1. Formation of the Inner Seas
The Inner Seas were formed mainly due to glacial erosion in the last ice age, around 11,000 to 10,000 years ago. Ice sheets extended southwards from the Scottish Highlands across the region now called the Inner Seas.
Ice sheets advanced and retreated for thousands of years, carving out valleys that formed sea lochs such as Loch Linnhe and Loch Fyne. They also made deeper channels that linked the sea lochs and became sounds like the Sound of Jura and the Sound of Mull.
Basins were carved by glacial erosion. They were flooded after the ice melted, forming massive water bodies like Firth of Lorn and Firth of Clyde. As ice sheets scoured the landmasses, they deposited soil, rock and other debris, which, over millions of years, formed the base of the islands.
Around 10,000 years ago, when the last glacial period was about to end, sea levels rose enough to flood all the channels, sounds and lochs carved by the ice sheets.
The process of erosion and deposition refined the coastlines for thousands of years, but the basic shape and configuration of the Inner Seas dates back to the last ice age.
2. Shipping in the Inner Seas
All the water bodies that make up the Inner Seas offer ferry connections to nearby settlements and are well linked to each other by waterways. Worth mentioning is the Firth of Clyde, which is known for its shipbuilding industry.
Glasgow, Clydebank, and Renfrew are key engineering and shipbuilding centres. Major shipyards lie at Greenock and Port Glasgow, while smaller ones are at Troon, Irvine and Ardrossan. Several boatyards are situated at Hunters Quay, Port Bannatyne and Fairlie. The Ferguson Marine shipbuilding yard, Port Glasgow, is the last merchant shipbuilder on the Clyde.
Firth of Clyde also boasts one of the deepest sea entrance channels in Northern Europe, which can accommodate the biggest Capesize ships. Hunterston Terminal was built to handle bulk ore and dealt with coal and closed in 2016. Supertankers sail up the Firth to transport crude oil to Finnart Oil Terminal in Loch Long, linked v…
CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM MarineInsight HERE
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.