Ailsa Craig, << AYL suh krayg >> , is a small, rocky island in the outer Firth of Clyde, Scotland, south of the Isle of Arran. It is nicknamed “Paddy’s Milestone” for its location roughly halfway between Glasgow and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ailsa Craig is 1,114 feet (340 meters) high and about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) in circumference. It is noted for its granite quarries. Curling stones, used in the sport of curling, are made from its granite (see Curling ).
Thousands of gannets breed on the steep cliffs of the uninhabited island, as well as a number of puffins and other seabirds. In the 2010’s, an environmental conservation group leased the island to maintain it as a sanctuary for these birds.
