Rockall, Granite rock in Outer Hebrides, United Kingdom.
Rockall is a granite formation in the North Atlantic that rises 23 meters above sea level and sits 354 kilometers west of the Scottish coast. The rock measures roughly 30 meters in diameter at its base and tapers to a narrow summit that is constantly battered by waves.
The British government occupied the rock in 1955 and fixed a brass plaque to the summit to mark the claim. Later, the site became the subject of international disputes over fishing rights and maritime zones in the North Atlantic.
The Gaelic name Rocabarraigh lives on in the stories of Scottish sailors who knew it as a warning of dangerous waters. Old tales connect the rock with shipwrecks and dark legends about vanished boats lost in storms.
Any visit requires specially equipped vessels that can handle strong currents and unpredictable weather. Landings are possible only in calm seas and remain risky even then due to the steep, slippery surface of the rock.
Greenpeace activists built a small platform on the summit in 1997 and stayed for 42 days to protest oil drilling. During that time, they declared the rock an independent micro-nation called Waveland with its own constitution.
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