Rockall Rockall Rockall () is a British uninhabited granite islet located within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Kingdom, situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its approximate distances from the closest large islands are: west of Scotland; northwest of Ireland; and 700 km (440 miles) south of Iceland. The nearest permanently inhabited place is North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, 370 km (230 miles) to the east. The United Kingdom claimed Rockall in 1955 and incorporated it as a part of Scotland in 1972. Ireland does not recognise this claim, although it has never sought
Rockall on or near the islet. Cold-water coral biogenic reefs have been identified on the wider Rockall Bank, which are contributing features for the East Rockall Bank and North-West Rockall Bank SACs. In December 2013 surveys by Marine Scotland discovered four new species of animals in the sea around Rockall. These are believed to live in an area where hydrocarbons are released from the sea bed, known as a cold seep. The discovery has raised the issue of restricting some forms of fishery to protect the sea bed. The species are: The earliest recorded date of landing on the island is