Rockall Trivia Quiz

Answer: 187 miles

Rockall is 187 statute miles west of the island of Soay in the St Kilda archipelago off western Scotland, 287 miles from Ardnamurchan Point on mainland Scotland and 270 miles north-west from the coast of Donegal in Ireland. Writing in 1956, the ornithologist James Fisher described Rockall as 'the most isolated small rock in the oceans of the world'.

Answer: 56 feet / 17.15 metres

Rockall is tiny! It is roughly triangular in shape, approximately 85 feet (26 metres) wide, 100 feet (30 metres) long and 56 feet (17.15 metres) high. It rises to 70 feet (21 metres) above chart datum (the level of the lowest possible tide). It is the eroded remnant of a volcanic plug, formed perhaps 55 million years ago, and is the highest point of the Rockall Bank, an isolated area of continental shelf rising from the deeper submerged microcontinent of the Rockall Plateau. Between the plateau and the British Isles lies the deeper Rockall Trough.

Answer: 1811

Rockall was shown on charts and maps from the mid-sixteenth century onwards, but the first recorded landing was by a party from the Royal Navy frigate HMS 'Endymion' in September 1811. During the previous year 'Endymion' had visited the vicinity of the rock in order to make a survey, in company with HMS 'Princess Charlotte', and for many years the landing was assumed to have taken place then. In the 1950s, however, a careful scrutiny of the log of 'Endymion' by the naturalist James Fisher fixed the 1811 date.
The other dates given have no relevance.

Answer: Great Britain

In September 1955 a party from the survey ship HMS 'Vidal' landed on Rockall by helicopter and formally annexed it for the British Crown by hoisting the Union Flag and cementing a plaque to the rock. This was done by virtue of Rockall's proximity to the British Isles, and incidentally was the last territorial expansion of the British Empire. The reason for the annexation was to prevent the use of the rock by a foreign power to monitor the missile testing programme carried out on South Uist in the (British) Outer Hebrides

The plaque read 'By authority of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and in accordance with Her Majesty's instructions dated the 14th day of September, 1955, a landing was effected this day upon this island of Rockall from HMS Vidal. The Union flag was hoisted and possession of the island was taken in the name of Her Majesty. [Signed] R H Connell, Captain, HMS Vidal, 18 September 1955'. Rockall was formally incorporated into Great Britain by the Isle of Rockall Act (1972). Administratively, it is part of the Outer Hebrides.
No other country has carried out such an action of possession.

Fishing and mineral rights to the area around the islet are currently disputed by Ireland, Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands) and Iceland.

Answer: It is the name of a sea area used in weather forecasts for shipping.

Rockall is the name of a sea area used in the shipping weather forecast given four times a day on BBC Radio 4. It lies to the west of Scotland and northern Ireland, and is bordered by sea areas Bailey to the north and Shannon to the south.
Surfing is not practical off Rockall, even if there was anyone there to do it!
Although the ownership of Rockall and the surrounding area is in dispute, it is not of general interest and seldom reported on.
'Rockall' is the name of a line of outdoor clothing produced by an Irish company, but there is no advertising on BBC radio.

Answer: 'The Master' by T.H.White

'The Master' is a book published in 1957 by T.H. White. It is a science-fiction novel for older children which takes place on and in Rockall A brother and sister are accidentally marooned on the rock and discover that it is hollow. They are captured by the mysterious inhabitant, a very old man with ambitions of world domination.
White is better known for his 'Once and Future King' trilogy about the life of King Arthur.
'Tir nan Og' (Gaelic for 'Land of the Young') is a country in the far west which features in Gaelic mythology. There is no such book as 'Beyond Tir nan Og' as far as I know, and Abraham Darby was a Shropshire ironmaster during the early Industrial Revolution.
'Treasure Island' and 'Captain Grant's Children' are both real novels, but neither mentions Rockall.

Answer: Six

Six invertebrate animal species have been found on Rockall. These include a type of periwinkle, a trematode (flatworm) and two species of mite. Over twenty species of seabird have been observed on and around the rock, but it is not known whether or not any have successfully bred there.

Answer: Fishing

Fishing has been the only major activity carried out around Rockall.
The apportionment of fishing and mineral rights in the surrounding area is under dispute in the early 21st century by Britain, Iceland, Ireland and Denmark, and some exploration for oil and gas has been carried out. With the exception of a very few private voyages, no tourism or diving has taken place, nor are they likely to.

Answer: Lieutenant Basil Hall

The landing that took place in 1811 from HMS 'Endymion' was under the command of Lieutenant Basil Hall, who gave his name to the only named feature on the rock. Hall's Ledge is about 11 feet by 4 (3.5 by 1.3 metres) just below the summit on the west face, and provides the only refuge.
As far as I know none of the other three officers have any relevance to Rockall. Admiral Lord Nelson was, of course, the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar, while Captain Aubrey and Lieutenant Bush are the inventions of Patrick O'Brian and C.S. Forester.

Answer: A ship

There are several reports from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries of Rockall being mistaken for a ship. In sunlight the guano-covered peak could resemble the canvas of a sailing vessel, while breakers at its foot appeared like a bow-wave. This error was in fact made by HMS 'Endymion'.
I can find no examples involving the other three items!