Rockall is a small, uninhabitable rocky island in the North Atlantic. Its status is disputed, being claimed by the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Denmark and Iceland. By itself, the island does not have much importance, but continental shelf around it could be very valuable.
The origin of the name is debatable but it has been suggested that it derives from the Gaelic "Sgeir (http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/mb33.html#sgeir) Rocail (http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/mb31.html#rocail)" which is often translated as "Roaring Rock" although "rocail" is more usually translated as "tearing" or "ripping" (see link).
The rock is the summit of an extinct volcano and is located at 57°35'48"N 13°41'19"W. It is 424 km (265 miles) from Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It is 480 km (298 miles) from Ardnamurchan Point in Scotland. The rock is about 83 feet (25 metres) wide at its base and rises sheer to a height of approximately 22 metres (72 feet). It is regularly washed over by large storm waves, particularly in winter. There is a small ledge of 3.5 metres by 1.3 metres (11 feet by 4 feet), known as Hall's Ledge, 4 metres (13 feet) from the summit. The rock's only permanent inhabitants are periwinkles and other marine molluscs. Small numbers of seabirds, mainly Fulmars, Gannets, Kittiwakes, and Guillemots, use the rock for resting in summer, and Gannets and Guillemots occasionally breed successfully if the summer is calm with no storm waves washing over the rock.
Saint Brendan the Navigator visited Rockall in the sixth century. This was recorded in Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis. Tim Severin repeated this voyage, in 1977, to Newfoundland. On 22 August 1688 a Spanish merchantman enroute to the New World ran aground on the rocks and 250 people perished In 1811 Basil Hall of HMS Endymion landed on the neighbouring Hasselwood Rock.
In 1955 Britian requested permission from Ireland to test the Blue Streak Rocket in the area. Permission was granted. However, on 18 September 1955 the island was unilaterally annexed by Britain when Lieutenant Commander Desmond Scott RN from HMS Vidal was deposited on the island by a Royal Navy helicopter. He cemented in a brass plaque and hoisted the Union Jack to stake the British claim. On 10 February 1972 the Isle of Rockall Act received Royal Assent to make the island part of Inverness-shire, fully incorporating it into the United Kingdom. A navigational beacon was later installed on the island and Britain declared that no ship would be allowed within a 50-mile radius of the rock. In 1985 former SAS member and survival expert Tom Mclean lived on the island for 40 days to affirm Britain's right to the island. This annexation is disputed by Ireland and not recognised by any other country.
Greenpeace occupied the islet for a short time in 1997, calling it Waveland, to protest against oil exploration. The project continued until 1999, when the company sponsoring it collapsed and the experiment ended.
Rockall is also close to the Darwin Mounds, deep-water coral mounds about 185 km (115 miles) north-west of Cape Wrath.