View source for The Oa

{{Short description|Peninsula in the southwest of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland}}
{{about|the peninsula in Scotland|the television series|The OA|other uses of the letters OA|OA (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2025}}
[[File:Mull of Oa, Islay aerial.jpg|thumb|The Oa peninsula, from the air, in 2014. [[Port Ellen]] is on the bay in the upper right.  [[Islay Airport]] is at the top left.]]
[[File:Mullofoawaterfall.jpg|thumb|[[Waterfall]] at the Mull of Oa]]
'''The Oa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|əʊ}} {{respell|OH|'}})<ref>{{cite book|author1=Ayto, John |author2=Crofton, Ian |title=Brewer's Britain And Ireland|publisher=[[Weidenfeld & Nicolson]]|page=829|date=2005}}</ref> ({{langx|gd|An Obha}}) is a rocky peninsula in the southwest of the island of [[Islay]], in Argyll, Scotland. It is an [[RSPB]] [[nature reserve]].

==Area==
The area is roughly circular, with a radius of about 4 km, and connects with the rest of the island at a neck about 4 km across, which runs between Kintra and Port Ellen. Its high point is [[Beinn Mhòr (Islay)|Beinn Mhòr]] ({{convert|202|m|ft|0|disp=or}}) near the cliff top on the south coast. The Oa had a population of 800 in 1830, but became deserted due to the [[Highland Clearances]].<ref name="islay">{{cite web| url=http://www.islayinfo.com/islay_oa_peninsula.html| title=The Oa Peninsula| publisher=Guide to the Isle of Islay| access-date=2009-07-26}}</ref>

The American Monument was erected on the south coast by the [[American Red Cross]] to commemorate the loss of two ships in 1918 – the liner {{SS|Tuscania|1914|2}} and the armed merchant cruiser {{HMS|Otranto}}.<ref name="islay"/> It lies at the end of the only road in the Oa.

The area around the memorial is an [[RSPB]] nature reserve,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t/theoa/| title=The Oa| publisher=[[RSPB]]| access-date=2009-07-26}}</ref> where [[chough]], [[golden eagle]]s, [[corn crake]]s, and sea birds can be seen. {{convert|1931|ha}} have been designated as a [[Special Protection Area]] for the protection of the chough.<ref name="islay"/>

[[Ireland]] can be seen from the south coast on a clear day.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline|The Oa, Islay|The Oa}}

{{Coord|55|37|N|6|17|W|region:GB_scale:30000|display=title}}
{{Islay}}
{{Scottish provinces|insular}}
{{RSPB sites in Scotland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oa, The}}
[[Category:Landforms of Islay]]
[[Category:Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Scotland]]