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Preston Island

Coordinates: 56°3′12″N 3°36′0″W / 56.05333°N 3.60000°W / 56.05333; -3.60000
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Preston Island
Meaning of namenamed after Sir Robert Preston
Location
Preston Island is located in Scotland
Preston Island
Preston Island
Preston Island shown within Scotland
OS grid referenceNT004856
Coordinates56°03′11″N 3°36′00″W / 56.053°N 3.600°W / 56.053; -3.600
Physical geography
Island groupIslands of the Forth
Highest elevation<10 m
Administration
Council areaFife
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Demographics
Population0
Lymphad

Preston Island is a former artificial island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. The reclaimed land was once used for salt production, using local coal. It is part of Fife.

History

[edit]
Abandoned buildings on Preston Island

Preston Island, south of Low Valleyfield in the Firth of Forth, was reclaimed by Sir Robert Preston, 6th Baronet in the early 19th century.[1] A sea wall was constructed, followed by buildings and a coal mine, producing coal for the production of salt in saltpans on the island.[2][3]

Two further coal shafts were in development when a fatal firedamp explosion occurred in 1811, after which the mine was closed.[2][4]

Salt production continued for some decades, under lease from Preston.[3] The buildings later housed an illicit distillery.[1] Several well-maintained ruins remain.

The 'island' is no longer surrounded by water, following further land reclamation, using ash from the nearby Longannet power station.[2]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Nature reserve on island". West Fife Villages. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Preston Island". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b Ewart, Gordon; Stewart, David; Dunn, Andrew (1996). "Preston Island: archaeological research and excavations" (PDF). Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal. 2: 1.
  4. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (1902). "Extracts from Romantic Culross, Torryburn, Carnock, Cairneyhill, Saline and Pitfirrane". Scottish Mining Website. Retrieved 23 May 2016.

56°3′12″N 3°36′0″W / 56.05333°N 3.60000°W / 56.05333; -3.60000