Sgarbh an Sgùmain
17th November
Sgarbh an Sgùmain
Shag
/sgarav əN sguːmɛNʲ/
From the land, comes the cloth, comes the language…
The primitive appearance of these reptilian-like seabirds gives the impression of them having lived on the sea cliffs and caves of these shores since the dawn of time.
Elegant divers, the shag can hunt underwater up to depths of 45 metres. Like the cormorant, their wing feathers are not waterproof, preventing tapped air bubbles and so allowing the birds to dive further underwater. Because of this, they can often be spotted drying their large black wings in the sun and sea air.
Photograph by Lewis Mackenzie
Our Gaelic Coastal Word of the Week comes from “Scotland’s Nature Agency, Buidheann Nàdair na h-Alba”
