Cara Island is a small island which is located off the west coast of Kintyre

Kintyre

Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

Geography and etymology

Cara is 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) south of Gigha

Gigha

The Isle of Gigha is a small island off the west coast of Kintyre in Scotland. The island forms part of Argyll and Bute and has a population of about 150 people, many of whom speak Scottish Gaelic. The climate is mild with higher than average sunshine hours and the soils are fertile.Gigha has a...

. It is accessible from Gigha, if you can find a local boatman who will take you over. The best view from the mainland is from the beach opposite Beachmenach Farm, about half way between Tayinloan

Tayinloan

Tayinloan is a village situated on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The village has a sub post office and general store, a small hotel , a village hall and a play park. The nearest towns are Campbeltown and Tarbert .A ferry service runs between the village...

 and Muasdale

Muasdale

Muasdale is a hamlet on the western coast of the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland. As of the year 2000 Muasdale had a population of 300. By the year 1750 the Roy map showed a coastal track along the west coast of Kintyre, even though the population level of the entire southern peninsula was very...

.

Cara

Cara (given name)

Cara is a female given name of Latin and Irish origin. It is of 20th century origin and means friend in Irish. Cara also means beloved in Latin.Kara, the alternative spelling, is from the Cornish word, meaning love....

 has a translation in Gaelic as "dearest" or "dear one". Cara is a popular girl's name in the local area and in Scotland in general.

History

Cara is owned by the Clan MacDonald of Largie

Clan MacDonald of Largie

Clan MacDonald of Largie, also known as Clan Ranald Bane, is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. The founder of the MacDonalds of Largie is Ranald Bane MacDonald, a son of Iain Mhoir Tanistear Mic Dhòmhnaill and Margery Byset .-History:Ranald Bane was granted lands in Kintyre around...

 and is reputedly the only island still in the possession of direct descendants of the Lords of the Isles

Lord of the Isles

The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...

.

Since 1974 the island has been leased by the Teggin family, who have renovated Cara House, the only habitable building on the island.

The liner Aska was sunk on 22 September 1940 on rocks northwest of the island after being struck by German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 bombers.

Mythology

Cara is famous as the home of the Uruisg/broonie, the familiar spirit of the Macdonald of Largie family.
A rock formation known as the Broonie's Chair is found at the extreme southern tip of the island. It is said that the Broonie may grant a secret wish made when you sit in his chair.