# Story ID: Young man trapped on an island in Ireland? Scotland? \[Spoiler\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [September 26, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772 "2024-09-26T23:00:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/1 "2024-09-26T23:00:06Z")
This is a classic story, but the title is not coming to my mind. I have it in my head that it took place in the 18th or 19th Century. A young man is stranded on an island. He can see the mainland a short distance away, but he can’t swim. Fishermen pass by in their boats and he tries to get their attention. They just wave back. At the end, it turns out the water separating him from the mainland is so shallow he could have easily walked to the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/2 "2024-09-26T23:38:18Z")
_Kidnapped_, by Robert Louis Stevenson. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/3 "2024-09-27T00:45:02Z")
I _thought_ that what it was, but I skimmed the plot on Wikipedia and didn’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/4 "2024-09-27T02:37:28Z")
See Sparknotes: > On the way, however, the ship strikes the Torran Rocks and goes down. David escapes and finds himself on an island. The island is separated from a larger main island only by a river, but he can find no way to cross the river. After a few days, a fisherman comes in a boat and reveals to him that the river gets very low at high tide, and David crosses easily. [https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/kidnapped/summary/](https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/kidnapped/summary/) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/5 "2024-09-27T03:07:26Z")
Further info: > **[Torran Rocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torran_Rocks)** > > The Torran Rocks are a group of small islands and skerries located between the islands of Mull and Colonsay in Scotland. > The main rocks are Dearg Sgeir, MacPhail's Anvil, Na Torrain, Torran Sgoilte and Torr an t-Saothaid although there are numerous others including the southernmost of Sgeir Dhoirbh (or Otter Rock). They cover an area of about 25 km2 (10 sq mi) some 3 km (2 mi) south of the tidal island of Erraid and the Ross of Mull. The largest islets of Na Torrain reach 10 metres (33 ft) or... ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/story-id-young-man-trapped-on-an-island-in-ireland-scotland-spoiler/1007772/6 "2024-09-27T03:20:48Z")
Thank you, **Northern\_Piper**.