Documents for "British and Irish Physical Geography":

• Achill [Irish,=eagle], island, 56 sq mi (145 sq km), Co. Mayo, W Republic of Ireland; the largest island of Ireland. It is connected with the mainland by a bridge over Achill Sound. The rugged island is...

• Ailsa Craig island, c.1 sq mi (2.6 sq km), off SW Scotland, W of Girvan in the Firth of Clyde; it rises to 1,114 ft (340 m). It has granite quarries and a lighthouse and is a sanctuary for sea birds.

• Allen, Bog of area of several peat bogs c.375 sq mi (971 sq km), with patches of cultivable land, in the central lowlands, E Republic of Ireland. The bog is crossed by the Grand and Royal canals. It is a source...

• Allen, Lough lake, 8 mi (12.9 km) long and 3 mi (4.8 km) wide, Co. Leitrim and Co. Roscommon, N Republic of Ireland. The upper Shannon River flows through the lake.

• Aran Islands 18 sq mi (47 sq km), Co. Galway, W Republic of Ireland, in Galway Bay. The three islands are Inishmore (the largest), Inisheer, and Inishmaan. The islands are barren; farming and fishing prevail...

• Arden, Forest of well-wooded area, formerly very extensive, in Warwickshire, central England. It is the setting for Shakespeare's As You Like It.

• Arran island (1981 pop. 4,725), 165 sq mi (427 sq km), North Ayshire, W Scotland, in the Firth of Clyde. It is largely granitic and is wild and rocky; it rises to 2,866 ft (874 m). Its scenery and its...

• Aurigny see Alderney , island, England.

• Avoca or Ovoca , river, c.15 mi (24 km) long, formed by the union of the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers, in Co. Wicklow, E Republic of Ireland. It flows SE to the Irish Sea at Arklow. The river is celebrated...

• Avon [Celtic,=river], name of several rivers in England. 1 Also called Bristol Avon or Lower Avon, rising in SW England at Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and flowing 75 mi (121 km) E, S, and then NW through Bath and Bristol to the Severn River at Avonmouth. It is navigable for large vessels to...

• Awe, Loch lake, 25 mi (40 km) long, Argyll and Bute, W Scotland; 118 ft (36 m) above sea level. The hydroelectric power facility at Cruachan (completed 1967) has a 400,000-kW capacity.

• Bann longest river of Northern Ireland, rising as the Upper Bann in the Mourne Mts. and flowing 40 mi (64 km) NW to the southern end of Lough Neagh. It leaves the lake at its north shore as the Lower...

• Barrow river, c.120 mi (190 km) long, rising in the Slieve Bloom Mts., Co. Laoighis, central Republic of Ireland. It flows east to the Co. Kildare line, then south along the borders of several counties,...

• Ben Macdui or Ben Macdhui , Gaelic Beinn Muic Duibhe, peak, 4,296 ft (1,309 m) high, Moray, Scotland, in the Cairngorm Mts.; second highest peak in Scotland.

• Ben Nevis peak, 4,406 ft (1,343 m) high, Highland, W Scotland, overlooking Glen Nevis; highest peak of Great Britain. Ruins of an observatory are on the summit, from which there is an impressive view,...

• Big Ben the bell in the Parliament tower (Westminster Palace), London, England. It was named for Sir Benjamin Hall, commissioner of works when the bell was installed in 1856. The name is often used to...

• Black Isle peninsula, 18 mi (29 km) long and up to 9 mi (14.5 km) wide, Highland, N Scotland, extending into Moray Firth. It has some of the best farmland in N Scotland, producing grain and potatoes. Cattle...

• Blackwater river, c.100 mi (161 km) long, rising in Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland. It flows east through the dairy region of Co. Cork and Co. Waterford before turning abruptly south and entering the...

• Blasket Islands group of rock islets, Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland; a lighthouse is on one of the islets. Most of the inhabitants of the islands were moved to the mainland in 1953. Great Blasket, largest of...

• Blenheim Park estate, Oxfordshire, central England, near Woodstock. The stately palace was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and stands on spacious grounds. Seat of the dukes of Marlborough, the palace was the gift of Queen Anne to the first duke in honor of his victories in the War of the Spanish Succession. Its...

• Bow Bells in the church of St. Mary-le-Bow (Bow Church), Cheapside, London, England. The church is located in mid-London, and tradition says that only one who is born within sound of the Bow Bells is a true...

• Boyne river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, rising in the Bog of Allen, Co. Kildare, E Republic of Ireland, and flowing NE through Co. Meath, past Trim, to the Irish Sea near Drogheda. Salmon is caught in the...

• Bracknell city (1991 pop. 52,257), Bracknell Forest, S England. Bracknell was designated one of the new towns in 1949, in order to alleviate overpopulation in London. In 1949, Bracknell was a market town of some 5,000 persons, with timber yards and a brickmaking industry. Population growth increased with...

• Breadalbane mountainous district, in the W Grampian Mts., NW Perth and Kinross and NE Stirling, central Scotland. The district, picturesque and sparsely cultivated, is the site of the Breadalbane...

• Bristol Avon see Avon 1, England.

• Broads, the region, c.5,000 acres (2,023 hectares), mainly in Norfolk, E England, extending inland to Norwich from the coast. It is composed of wide, interlocking shallow lakes (broads), connected by the...

• Buckingham Palace residence of British sovereigns from 1837, in Westminster metropolitan borough, London, England, adjacent to St. James's Park. Built (1703) by the duke of Buckingham, it was purchased (1761) by...

• Cairngorms group of mountains forming part of the Grampian Mts, in Highland, Moray, and Aberdeenshire, central Scotland, between the Dee and the upper Spey rivers; they rise to c.4,300 ft (1,310 m). The name...

• Caledonian Canal waterway, c.60 mi (100 km) long, cutting across Highland, N Scotland, from Moray Firth to Loch Linnhe by way of the Great Glen. It was built in two phases (1803-22 and 1843-47; opened 1822) to save...

• Cambrian Mountains rugged upland plateau occupying most of Wales; Aran Fawddwy (2,970 ft/905 m) is the highest point in the mountains. The area has deep lakes and is cut by numerous river valleys; the Wye and Severn...

• Carrantuohill mountain, 3,414 ft (1,041 m) high, Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland, in Macgillicuddy's Reeks; highest peak in Ireland.

• Channel Tunnel popularly called the "Chunnel," a three-tunnel railroad connection running under the English Channel, connecting Folkestone, England, and Calais, France. The tunnels are 31 mi (50 km) long. There are two rail tunnels, each 25 ft...

• Charterhouse [Fr.,=Chartreuse], in London, England, once a Carthusian monastery (founded 1371), later a hospital for old men and then a school for boys, endowed in 1611. The school, which became a large public...

• Chatsworth estate, Derbyshire, central England, near Chesterfield. It is the seat of the dukes of Devonshire. Begun in 1552, the present Classical-style Chatsworth House was rebuilt in 1686. It has notable...

• Cheviot Hills range, c.35 mi (56 km) long, extending along part of the border between Scotland and England. The highest point is The Cheviot (2,676 ft/816 m). The North Tyne and branches of the River Tweed rise...

• Chiltern Hills range of chalk hills, c.45 mi (70 km) long and 15 to 20 mi (24-32 km) wide, S England, NW of London, extending NE from Goring Gap. Its highest elevation is Coombe Hill (852 ft/260 m), SE of...

• Chunnel see Channel Tunnel.

• Clare Island c.6 sq mi (15 sq km), Co. Mayo, W Republic of Ireland, at the entrance to Clew Bay. There are ruins of a 13th-century Carmelite abbey and of the 16th-century castle of Grania or Grace O'Malley,...

• Clwyd river, c.30 mi (50 km) long, rising in Denbighshire, N Wales. It flows N through the Vale of Clwyd to the Irish Sea at Rhyl. The vale is notable for its excellent pastureland.

• Clyde principal river of SW Scotland, 106 mi (171 km) long, rising in the Southern Uplands and flowing generally NW through Glasgow to the Firth of Clyde. It drains c.1,480 sq mi (3,830 sq km). The lower...

• Colonsay island, 17 sq mi (44 sq km), Argyll and Bute, NW Scotland, one of the Inner Hebrides. Crofting and cheese making are the main occupations. Colonsay is separated from Oronsay by a narrow sound.

• Connemara wild, mountainous region, Co. Galway, W Republic of Ireland, lying between the Atlantic Ocean and Loughs Corrib and Mask. Many mountains, lakes, streams, and glens help make it a well-known...

• Corrib, Lough lake, 68 sq mi (176 sq km), Counties Galway and Mayo, W Republic of Ireland. The irregularly shaped lake, which is 27 mi (43 km) long, drains into Galway Bay through the Corrib River. It is...

• Corrievrekin or Corryvreckan , whirlpool in Corrievrekin passage N of Jura island, Argyll and Bute, W Scotland.

• Corryvreckan whirlpool: see Corrievrekin , Scotland.

• Cotswold Hills range, mainly in Gloucestershire, W England, extending c.50 mi (80 km) NE from Bath; Cleeve Cloud (c.1,080 ft/330 m) is the highest point. Its crest line forms the Thames-Severn watershed. The...

• Covent Garden area in London historically containing the city's principal fruit and garden market and the Royal Opera House. The market was established in 1671 by Charles II on the site of the abbot of...

• Croagh Patrick mountain, 2,510 ft (765 m) high, Co. Mayo, W Republic of Ireland, near Westport Bay. Legend connects it with St. Patrick, and its summit has long been a place of pilgrimage.

• Cromarty Firth deep narrow inlet of Moray Firth, c.15 mi (25 km) long, Highland, N Scotland. It provides excellent anchorage, its narrow entrance being protected by the headlands of the Sutor rocks, more than...

• Cumbrian Mountains mountains of the Lake District, NW England; Scafell Pike (3,210 ft/978 m) is the highest point. Studded with lakes and narrow valleys, the range extends through Cumberland, Westmorland, and N...

• Curragh, the undulating plain or common, 4,885 acres (1,977 hectares), Co. Kildare, E Republic of Ireland. It has been a military camp since 1646. The Curragh racecourse is Ireland's most famous horse-racing...

• Dee 1 River, c.90 mi (140 km) long, rising in the Cairngorms , Aberdeenshire, E Scotland, and flowing E past Ballater to the North Sea through an artificial channel at Aberdeen. The channel was constructed (1872) to improve Aberdeen's harbor. Celebrated for...

• Dee Welsh Dyfrdwy, river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, rising in the Cambrian Mts., Gwynedd, NW Wales, and flowing NE through Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), then meandering through a picturesque course NE, N, and NW along the...

• Derg, Lough in Ireland. 1 Expansion of the Shannon River, 23 mi (37 km) long and 1 to 5 mi (1.6-8 km) wide, W central Republic of Ireland. On the lake is the republic's first (1927) major hydroelectric power plant, with an...

• Derwent river, c.60 mi (100 km) long, rising in the Pennines, Derbyshire, central England, and flowing SE past Derby to the River Trent. Reservoirs on its headwaters supply water to the cities of the...

• Derwent Water lake, 3 mi (4.8 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Cumbria, NW England, formed by a widening of the River Derwent. It is surrounded by wooded hills, with the Lodore (c.90 ft/27 m) and Barrow (c.108...

• Don river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, rising in the Pennines, N England. It flows SE through Sheffield, then turns NE and flows past Rotherham and Doncaster to the River Ouse at Goole. Canals and locks...

• Doon river, c.30 mi (48 km) long, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire, SW Scotland, flowing NW through Loch Doon (6 mi/9.7 km long) to the Firth of Clyde S of Ayr. Robert Burns celebrated its beauty in...

• Dove river, c.40 mi (60 km) long, rising in the Pennines, Derbyshire, central England, and flowing S and SE to the River Trent near Burton upon Trent. It forms much of the Derbyshire-Staffordshire...

• Downs, North, and South Downs parallel ranges of chalk hills, SE England. They rise to 965 ft (294 m) at Leith Hill, Surrey. The North Downs range, extending c.100 mi (160 km) from near Farnham, Surrey, to Dover, Kent, is cut...

• Downs, The roadstead, c.8 mi (13 km) long and 6 mi (9.7 km) wide, between North Foreland and South Foreland, off Deal, Kent, SE England, in the English Channel. It is protected, except from strong south...

• Dryburgh Abbey Premonstratensian abbey, Scottish Borders, SE Scotland, on the Tweed below Melrose. Founded in 1150, it was several times destroyed (1322 and 1545) and rebuilt and is now a picturesque ruin, a...

• Duncansbay Head see Duncansby Head.

• Duncansby Head or Duncansbay Head, sandstone cliff, 210 ft (64 m) high, Highland, NE Scotland. It is the northeastern extremity of the Scottish mainland.

• Dunnet Head sandstone promontory, 341 ft (104 m) high, Highland, NE Scotland. It is the northern extremity of the Scottish mainland.

• Dunsinane westernmost of the Sidlaw Hills, 1,012 ft (308 m) high, Perth and Kinross, central Scotland. On its summit are ruins of a fort, called Macbeth's Castle; it is the traditional scene of Macbeth 's final...

• Earn, Loch lake, 7 mi (11.2 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Perth and Kinross and Stirling, central Scotland. Ardvorlich House, on its shore, is the Darlinvarach of Sir Walter Scott 's Legend of Montrose....

• Eden name of several rivers in England and Scotland. The principal one rises in Cumbria, N England, and flows 65 mi (105 km) NW past Carlisle , into Solway Firth. The Vale of Eden is a rich farming region....

• Ericht, Loch lake, 15 mi (24 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Highland and Perth and Kinross, central Scotland. It is drained by the River Ericht. Part of a hydroelectric project, the lake is dammed, and the...

• Erne river, 72 mi (116 km) long, rising in Lough Gowna, Co. Longford, N Republic of Ireland. It flows NW through SW Northern Ireland, then back through the Republic before entering the Atlantic Ocean...

• Exe river, c.55 mi (90 km) long, rising in the Exmoor, Somerset, SW England, and flowing S across the Cornwall peninsula, past Exeter to the English Channel at Exmouth. Salmon and shellfish are taken...

• Exmoor high moorland of the Cornwall peninsula, SW England, comprising much of Exmoor National Park (265 sq mi/686 sq km; est. 1954). Underlaid by slate and sandstone, the rugged region with wooded glens...

• Fair Isle island, c.3 sq mi (7.8 sq km), off N Scotland, southernmost of the Shetland Islands. It is known for its knitted hosiery of bright, many-colored design and for its bird sanctuary.

• Fastnet Rock islet, Co. Cork, S Republic of Ireland. Its 160-ft (49-m) lighthouse is near the most southerly point of Ireland. It is the marker for the furthest leg of the Fastnet Cup, a yacht race in the...

• Fens, the district, E England, a flat lowland, W and S of The Wash. Extending c.70 mi (110 km) from north to south and c.35 mi (60 km) from east to west, it is traversed by numerous streams. The area was...

• Fingal's Cave cavern, 227 ft (69 m) long, celebrated for its unusual beauty, on Staffa island, one of the Inner Hebrides, W Scotland. The entrance is an archway supported by basaltic columns 20 to 40 ft...

• firth or frith, Scottish term applied to an arm of the sea, usually an estuary or strait. For Firth of Clyde, see Clyde ; for Firth of Forth, see Forth.

• Flamborough Head chalk promontory, East Riding of Yorkshire, E England, N of Bridlington Bay. There is a lighthouse at the tip. Danes' Dyke (an ancient earthwork fortification) crosses the peninsula. The chalk...

• Foreland, North, and South Foreland headlands of Kent, SE England, forming parts of the boundary of The Downs (a roadstead). South Foreland is 4 mi (6.4 km) NE of Dover, and North Foreland is near Margate. Both are chalk cliff...

• Forth river, c.60 mi (100 km) long, formed by streams that join near Aberfoyle in Stirling, S central Scotland. It meanders generally eastward past the town of Stirling to the Firth of Forth at Alloa...

• Fountains Abbey ruined Cistercian abbey, West Riding of Yorkshire, N England, near Ripon. It was founded in 1132.

• Foyle river, c.10 mi (16 km) long, formed by the junction of the Mourne and Finn rivers at Strabane, which is on the border between Limavady and Derry dists., W Northern Ireland. It flows northeast...

• Furness peninsula, 15 mi (24 km) long and 4 mi (6.4 km) wide, Cumbria, NW England, between the estuary of the River Duddon and Morecambe Bay. The term is also applied to areas N of Morecambe Bay that are...

• Fyne, Loch arm of the Firth of Clyde, Argyll and Bute, W Scotland. It extends 40 mi (64 km) N and NE from the Sound of Bute. The loch has long been famous for its herring fisheries. The Crinan Canal (9...

• Giant's Causeway headland on the north coast of Moyle dist., N Northern Ireland, NE of Coleraine; est. as a national trust territory in 1961. Extending 3 mi (4.8 km) along the coast, it consists of thousands of...

• Glen More see Great Glen , valley, Scotland.

• Glen Roy valley, Highland, W Scotland, E of Loch Lochy. The Parallel Roads, three terraces on each side of the valley at corresponding heights, are believed to mark receding levels of a lake that once...

• Glenalmond valley of the Almond River, Perth and Kinross, central Scotland, N of Crieff. A huge flat stone marks the traditional grave of Ossian, the legendary Gaelic poet. A Roman camp once existed at...

• Glencoe valley of the Coe River, Highland, W Scotland. It was the scene of the massacre of the Macdonald clan (Feb., 1692) by the Campbells, under the direction of John Campbell, 1st earl of Breadalbane,...

• Goodwin Sands stretch of shoals and sandbars, c.10 mi (20 km) long, lying off the east coast of Kent, SE England. It forms a breakwater E of The Downs, a roadstead. Shipwrecks were formerly frequent on the...

• Gower Welsh Gŵyr, peninsula, c.15 mi (24 km) long and 5 mi (8 km) wide, Swansea, S Wales, between Swansea and Carmarthen bays. Composed of limestone, the peninsula has scenic cliffs and numerous caves, many of which...

• Gowrie, Carse of alluvial lowland, c.15 mi (24 km) long, Perth and Kinross, central Scotland, along the northern shore of the Firth of Tay, between Perth and Dundee. A farm belt, it is famous for its fruit.

• Grampians, the or Grampian Mountains, highest mountain system of Great Britain, extending northeast to southwest along the southern fringe of the Highlands, central Scotland. Ben Nevis (4,406 ft/1,343 m) is the tallest peak. The scenic Grampians, extensively forested, have many lakes and contain the headwaters of many of Scotland's rivers. Numerous hydroelectric power plants are...

• Great Blasket see Blasket Islands , Ireland.

• Great Glen or Glen More, valley, 60 mi (97 km) long, Highland, N central Scotland, extending from Moray Firth SW to Loch Linnhe. It was formed by a fault in the earth's surface. Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy,...

• Great Ouse river: see Ouse 1, England.

• Helvellyn mountain, 3,118 ft (950 m) high, in the Lake District, NW England, SE of Keswick. Near the summit is a memorial to Charles Gough, who died (1805) there of exposure. He was commemorated in poems by...

• Herm see Channel Islands.

• Holland House residence of the Holland family in Kensington, London, made famous in the first 40 years of the 19th cent. by the hospitality of Henry Fox, 3d Baron Holland , and his wife. Built in 1606, the mansion was bought in 1767 by Henry Fox, grandfather of the 3d baron. Holland House was an intellectual headquarters for English liberals and other distinguished...

• Holyrood Palace [i.e., holy cross], royal residence, Edinburgh, SE Scotland. In 1128, David I founded Holyrood Abbey on this site, where according to legend he was saved from an infuriated stag by the miraculous...

• Humber navigable estuary of the Trent and Ouse rivers, c.40 mi (60 km) long and from 1 to 8 mi (1.6-12.9 km) wide, NE England, forming the boundary between between the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull...

• Iona [Irish Ioua =island] or Icolmkill [Irish,=island of Columba of the church], island (1985 est. pop. 267), 3.5 mi (5.6 km) long and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide, Argyll and Bute, NW Scotland, one of the Inner Hebrides...

• Isis see Thames , river, England.

• Jura island, Great Britain: see Hebrides, the.

• Katrine, Loch lake, 8 mi (12.9 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Stirling, central Scotland. Its beauty is celebrated in Sir Walter Scott 's Lady of the Lake. When Loch Katrine became Glasgow's main source of water,...

• Kew Gardens Kew, Surrey, S England, on the Thames just W of London; Royal Botanic Gardens is the official name. The gardens were founded by the dowager princess of Wales in 1761 and consisted of about 9 acres...

• Kintyre peninsula, 42 mi (68 km) long and 10 mi (16 km) wide, Argyll and Bute, W Scotland, joined to the mainland at the isthmus of Tarbert between East Loch Tarbert and West Loch Tarbert. The Mull of...

• Lagan river, c.40 mi (60 km) long, rising in Slieve Croob, SE Northern Ireland. It flows NW, then NE past Lisburn to Belfast Lough at Belfast. The port of Belfast and its shipbuilding yards are located...

• Lake District region of mountains and lakes, c.30 mi (50 km) in diameter, NW England. It includes the Cumbrian Mts. and part of the Furness peninsula. The district comprises 15 lakes, among them Ullswater,...

• Lammermuir Hills range of hills, East Lothian and Scottish Borders, SE Scotland. Meikle Says Law (1,749 ft/533 m) is the highest point. Sheep are grazed in the hills.

• Land's End promontory, Cornwall, SW England, forming the westernmost extremity of the English mainland. Of wave-carved granite, it has cliffs c.60 ft (20 m) high. Offshore are reefs and rocky islets, on one...

• Leith Hill 965 ft (294 m) high, Surrey, SE England; highest point of the North Downs. On the summit is a tower, from where there is a view on clear days of London and the English Channel.

• Leven, Loch lake, 3 1/2 mi (5.6 km) long, Perth and Kinross, E Scotland. Its several islands include Castle Island, with the ruins of the castle in which Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567-68, and St. Serf's, with...

• Lewis and Harris island (1985 est. pop. 23,500), 825 sq mi (2,137 sq km), largest and northernmost of the Outer Hebrides , Western Isles council area, NW Scotland, 24 mi (35 km) from the mainland across the Minch. The island is also called Lewis or the Lews. Harris has hilly terrain. Central Lewis is a vast, wet moor,...

• Liffey river, c.50 mi (80 km) long, rising in the Wicklow Mts., E Republic of Ireland, and flowing W, NE, and then E through Dublin to Dublin Bay. There are three electric power stations on the river.

• Lizard, The peninsula, Cornwall, SW England. Its southern extremity (the southernmost point of Great Britain) is called Lizard Point or Lizard Head. The coast has colored serpentine rocks, small coves and...

• Lomond, Loch largest freshwater lake in Great Britain, 23 mi (37 km) long and from 1 to 5 mi (1.6-8.1 km) wide, in Argyll and Bute, West Dunbartonshire, and Stirling, W Scotland. The Leven River drains it into...

• London Bridge granite, five-arched bridge formerly over the Thames, in London, England. It is 928 ft (283 m) long and was designed by John Rennie and built between 1824 and 1831. The early wooden bridge (963-75)...

• Long, Loch inlet of the Firth of Clyde, extending from northeast to southwest in Argyll and Bute, W Scotland. Oil is imported there and piped 57 mi (92 km) to the Grangemouth refinery.

• Lower Avon river: see Avon 1, river, England.

• Macdui, Ben or Ben Macdhui, peak: see Ben Macdui , Scotland.

• Macgillicuddy's Reeks highest mountain range of Ireland, Co. Kerry, SW Republic of Ireland. It includes Carrantuohill and other peaks more than 3,000 ft (914 m) high.

• Malvern Hills range of hills, c.9 mi (14.5 km) long, W central England, in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The highest points are the Worcester Beacon (1,395 ft/425 m) and the Hereford Beacon (1,114 ft/340 m);...

• Manchester Ship Canal 35.5 mi (57 km) long with a minimum depth of 28 ft (8.5 m), connecting Manchester, W England, with the Mersey estuary at Eastham, above Birkenhead. Begun in 1887, it was opened in 1894 and changed...

• Maree, Loch lake, 13 mi (21 km) long and 1 to 3 mi (1.6-4.8 km) wide, Highland, NW Scotland. It drains into the Minch through the Ewe River and Loch Ewe. Set in the Highlands, Loch Maree is known for its...

• Mendip Hills range of hills, c.25 mi (40 km) long, across N Somerset, SW England, extending SE from the vicinity of Hutton to the Frome valley. Primarily limestone, the hills have numerous caves (Wookey Hole,...

• Menteith lake, up to 1.5 mi (2.4 km) across, Stirling, central Scotland, near the town of Stirling. Mary Queen of Scots, as a child of five, was hidden at Inchmahome priory on the largest of the lake's...

• Mersey river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, formed at Stockport, W England, by the confluence of the Etherow and Goyt rivers. It flows east to the Irish Sea near Liverpool. The estuary of the Mersey, which is...

• Minch or North Minch, strait, 20 to 45 mi (32-72 km) wide, separating the N Outer Hebrides from the mainland of Scotland. Little Minch, to the southwest, 14 to 20 mi (23-32 km) wide, separates Skye island...

• Monadhliath Mountains Highland, N central Scotland, between the Spey River and Loch Ness. Carn Ban (3,087 ft/941 m) is the highest point.

• Mourne Mountains in Down, Newry, and Mourne dists., SE Northern Ireland. Slieve Donard (2,796 ft/852 m) is the highest peak in Northern Ireland. The district is barren and sparsely populated; there are ruins of...

• Mull of Galloway headland, 239 ft (73 m) high, Dumfries and Galloway, SW Scotland, the southernmost extremity of Scotland, on the southern tip of the Rhinns of Galloway.

• Neagh, Lough lake, 153 sq mi (396 sq km), 18 mi (29 km) long and 11 mi (18 km) wide, central Northern Ireland. This shallow lake is the largest freshwater body in the British Isles. Fed by the Upper Bann,...

• Nen see Nene , river, England.

• Nene or Nen , river, c.90 mi (140 km) long, rising in the Northampton Uplands, central England, and flowing NE past Northampton, Oundle, Peterborough, and Wisbech to the Wash. It is navigable to Peterborough...

• Ness, Loch lake, 22 mi (35 km) long, Highland, N central Scotland, in the Great Glen. More than 700 ft (213 m) deep and ice free, it is fed by the Oich and other streams and drained by the Ness to the Moray...

• Nevis, Ben peak: see Ben Nevis , Scotland.

• Nore river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, rising in NE Co. Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. It flows northeast, then southeast through a rich agricultural region to the Barrow River near New Ross. The Nore...

• North Downs see Downs, North , chalk hills, England.

• Ouse . 1 Also Great Ouse, river, c.155 mi (250 km) long, rising in the Northampton Highlands, Northamptonshire, S central England. The Great Ouse flows generally NE past Bedford and Ely to the Wash near King's Lynn,...

• Ovoca see Avoca , river, Ireland.

• Peak District or The Peak, dissected plateau, c.30 mi (50 km) long and 22 mi (35 km) wide, Derbyshire, central England, forming the southern extremity of the Pennines. Kinderscout (2,088 ft/636 m) is the highest peak...

• Pennines or Pennine Chain, mountain range, sometimes called the "backbone of England," extending c.160 mi (260 km) from the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border to the Peak District in Derbyshire. The range consists of a series of upland blocks, separated by transverse valleys (Tees,...

• Pentland Firth channel, 6 to 8 mi (9.7-12.9 km) wide and c.14 mi (23 km) long, N Scotland. Connecting the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, it separates the Scottish mainland from the Orkney Islands. Its rough...

• Plinlimon see Plynlimon , mountain, Wales.

• Plymouth Sound deep inlet of the English Channel, Devon and Cornwall, SW England. It is a famous roadstead and forms a bay c.3 mi (5 km) wide. It receives the Tamar River through the Hamoaze estuary and the Plym...

• Plynlimon or Plinlimon , Welsh Plumlumon Fawr, mountain, 2,468 ft (752 m) high, W Wales, on the Powys-Ceredigion border W of Llanidloes. It has three summits and is the source of the Wye, Severn, and other...

• Pomona Scotland: see Mainland.

• Purbeck, Isle of peninsula, c.12 mi (20 km) long and c.8 mi (13 km) wide, Dorset, S England, between Poole Harbour and the English Channel. St. Albans Head is the most southerly point of the rocky shore. Ranges of...

• Queensway or Mersey Tunnel: see Mersey , river, England.

• Rannoch, Loch lake, 9 1/2 mi (15.3 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Perth and Kinross, central Scotland, in the Grampians. It is fed by the Ericht River and drained by the Tummel River to the Tay River. Part of a...

• Rathlin Island 5 sq mi (13 sq km), Co. Moyle, N Northern Ireland. Its cliffs, of limestone and basalt, rise at Slieveacarn to 449 ft (137 m). Farming and fishing are important. St. Columba is said to have...

• Ribble river, c.75 mi (120 km) long, rising in the Pennines, North Yorkshire, N England, and flowing SW across Lancashire to the Irish Sea through a long, narrow estuary. Its chief tributary is the Hodder...

• Riduna see Alderney , island, England.

• Romney Marsh region, c.70 sq mi (180 sq km), Kent, SE England, extending c.9 mi (15 km) inland. A former coastal marsh, the region has been wholly reclaimed to provide fertile pastureland. Romney Marsh sheep...

• Ryan, Loch inlet, 9 mi (14.5 km) long and 3 1/2 mi (5.6 km) wide, at the mouth of the Firth of Clyde, Dumfries and Galloway, SW Scotland. The port of Stranraer is at the head of the sheltered loch.

• Sabrina see Severn , river, England.

• Saint James's Palace in Westminster, London, England, on St. James's Street and fronting on Pall Mall. Henry VIII built the palace and established the park around it. It was the London royal residence after the burning...

• Saint Martin-in-the-Fields church in London, England, on Trafalgar Square; built 1721-26 by James Gibbs. It has a Corinthian portico and elaborate spire. It is the prototype for many colonial churches in North America.

• Saint Michael's Mount pyramid-shaped rocky islet, 21 acres (8.5 hectares), Cornwall, SW England, in Mounts Bay; it rises to more than 200 ft (61 m). A natural causeway connects it at low tide with the mainland. Its...

• Saint Paul's Cathedral London, masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren and one of the finest church designs of the English baroque. It stands at the head of Ludgate Hill, where, according to tradition, a Roman temple once...

• Salisbury Plain undulating, mostly barren chalk plateau, c.300 sq mi (780 sq km), Wiltshire, S England. It is noted chiefly as the site of ancient monuments, of which Stonehenge is the most famous. The region is also...

• Savoy, the chapel in London, between the Strand and the Thames River. Its name is derived from the palace of Peter of Savoy, uncle of Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III. Destroyed (1381) in the Peasants'...

• Scafell or Scawfell, mountain group, Cumbria, NW England, in the Lake District, in the Cumbrian Mts. It includes the peaks Scafell Pike (3,210 ft/978 m; highest in England), Scafell, and Great End. The region is a...

• Scapa Flow area of water, 15 mi (24 km) long and 8 mi (12.9 km) wide, in the Orkney Islands, off N Scotland. It is bounded by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay, and Hoy. Scapa Flow...

• Scawfell see Scafell , mts., England.

• Schiehallion mountain, 3,547 ft (1,081 m) high, Perth and Kinross, central Scotland, near Loch Rannoch. In 1774, Nevil Maskelyne experimented there to determine the density of the earth.

• Severn sĕv´ern , Lat. Sabrina, one of the principal rivers of Great Britain, c.200 mi (320 km) long, rising on Plinlimmon Mt., W Wales, and flowing NE and E to Shrewsbury, W England, and from there SE, S, and SW—through an...

• Shannon principal river of the Republic of Ireland and longest (c.240 mi/390 km) in the British Isles. It rises near Cuilcagh Mt., NW Co. Cavan, and flows S through the Central Plain into Co. Limerick , where it turns west in a broad estuary (c.70 mi/110 km) to the Atlantic Ocean between Loop Head and Kerry Head. Loughs Allen, Boderg, Ree, and Dreg are expansions of the river. The Shannon with...

• Sheppey, Isle of c.30 sq mi (80 sq km), Kent, SE England, at the mouth of the Thames, separated from the mainland by The Swale, a narrow strait. It is largely flat, with wave-eroded cliffs to the north. Vegetables...

• Shiel, Loch lake, 17 mi (27 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, Highland, W Scotland. It is drained by a short stream into Loch Moidart.

• Sidlaw Hills range, E Scotland, between Strathmore and the Firth of Tay. It extends c.30 mi (50 km) NE from the vicinity of Perth. The highest hills, including Dunsinane, are more than 1,000 ft (305 m). Sheep...

• Skiddaw mountain, 3,054 ft (931 m) high, Cumbria, NW England, in the Lake District.

• Slieve Bloom mountain range, 15 mi (24 km) long, central Republic of Ireland, on the border of Counties Laoighis and Offaly. The range, which rises to 1,733 ft (528 m) at Arderin, is the source of the Barrow...

• Slieve Donard peak: see Mourne Mountains , Northern Ireland.

• Snowdon Welsh Yr Wyddfa, highest mountain of Wales, 3,560 ft (1,085 m) high, Gwynedd, NW Wales. Its five peaks are separated by passes. There is a rack and pinion railway (opened 1896) from Llanberis to the summit. The...

• Solent, The channel, c.30 mi (50 km) long and 3/4 to 5 mi (1.2-8 km) wide, between the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, S England. It serves as an anchorage for ships entering Southampton Water. Yacht races are...

• Solway Firth arm of the Irish Sea, c.40 mi (60 km) long, separating NW England from SW Scotland. The waterway receives the Esk, Annan, Urr, Eden, and Derwent rivers. It has important salmon fisheries. Near...

• South Downs see Downs, North , chalk hills, England.

• Spey river, c.105 mi (170 km) long, rising in the Mondhliath Mts., NE Scotland, and flowing generally NE through the Moray Firth to the North Sea. The river is rapid and unnavigable. There are...

• Staffa uninhabited island, 3/4 mi (1.2 km) long and 1/4 mi (.4 km) wide, Argyll and Bute, NW Scotland, one of the Inner Hebrides, near Mull. Famous for Fingal's Cave , Staffa has numerous other caves...

• Stenness, Loch of lake on Mainland island, in the Orkneys, off N Scotland. An isthmus between Harray and Stenness lochs holds the Standing Stones of Stenness, two rings of flat tablets dating from before c.2500 BC...

• Strangford Lough inlet of the Irish Sea, 17 mi (27 km) long and 4 mi (6.4 km) wide, between Ards and Down dists., E Northern Ireland, entered through a 5-mi (8-km) strait. One of the largest of the inlet's many...

• Strathmore valley, c.55 mi (90 km) long and 5 to 10 mi (8-16 km) wide, Angus and Perth and Kinross, E central Scotland, running from northeast to southwest between the Grampians and the Sidlaw Hills. It has...

• Suir river, 85 mi (137 km) long, rising on Devilsbit Mt., central Republic of Ireland. It flows south through a fertile agricultural region, then east past Clonmel and Waterford to the Barrow River,...

• Swilly, Lough inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, c.25 mi (40 km) long, Co. Donegal, NW Republic of Ireland. It is narrow and irregular in shape, with numerous islands. There is a lighthouse at Fanad Point. The resort...

• Tamesis see Thames , river, England.

• Tay longest river of Scotland, 118 mi (190 km) long. It rises on Ben Lui in the Grampians as the Fillan and flows NE into Loch Dochart, where it is called the Dochart until it enters Loch Tay, 14 1/2 mi (23 km) long and 1 mi (1.6 km) wide. Turning SE at the junction with the Tummel River, its chief tributary, the Tay enters the North Sea through the Firth of Tay (25 mi/40 km long). The river...

• Tees river, c.70 mi (110 km) long, rising on Cross Fell in the Pennines, N England, and flowing generally E between Durham and North Yorkshire and through Cleveland to the North Sea. Its upper valley...