Introduction: A Rock, a Dispute, and a Decades-Long Drama
Far out in the windswept waters of the North Atlantic, a barely visible outcrop known as Rockall Bank juts 17 meters above sea level—so small and unassuming that a passing sailor might not glance twice. Yet this isolated rock, no larger than a suburban backyard, is at the heart of one of Europe’s most enduring and peculiar geopolitical conflicts.
What Rockall Bank lacks in size, it more than compensates for in strategic significance. Claimed by four nations—the UK, Ireland, Denmark, and Iceland—the rock has inspired international tension, UN deliberations, legal wrangling, and even protest occupations, all in pursuit of fishing rights, potential oil reserves, and, perhaps most importantly, national pride.
But how did such a tiny rock ignite a 70+ year standoff? Let’s unravel the bizarre, fascinating, and ongoing saga of how you make an island out of a rock.
The Geography of Rockall: Unremarkable Yet Unyielding
Rockall is located in the North Atlantic, west of the British Isles, rising from a submerged volcanic plateau known as the Rockall-Hatton Plateau. This underwater expanse, stretching across hundreds of kilometers, includes another geological feature known as Hatton Bank.
Rockall itself is tiny—just 25 meters wide. It has no fresh water, no inhabitants, and no usable land. If placed elsewhere on Earth, it might go entirely unnoticed. But here, amid complex maritime borders and historic fishing zones, its location is everything.
Despite its barrenness, this jagged outcrop has become a symbolic and legal chess piece, thanks to the rules of international maritime law—specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
What’s at Stake? Not Just Fish, Oil, and Gas—but Sovereignty
Why all the fuss over a rock? It’s not the rock itself, but the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and continental shelf rights surrounding it.
According to UNCLOS:
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Countries may claim an EEZ up to 370 km (200 nautical miles) from their coastline.
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They may also extend claims up to 650 km for seabed mineral rights (the Extended Continental Shelf), but not fishing rights.
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Crucially, rocks that cannot sustain human life or economic activity are excluded from generating EEZs.
Control of Rockall Bank—or even part of the surrounding plateau—could mean exclusive fishing rights, oil and gas exploration, and mineral extraction in a massive swath of the North Atlantic. But UNCLOS throws a wrench into this: since Rockall is a “rock,” it technically shouldn’t generate territorial waters or an EEZ.
Still, nobody wants to back down. Let’s examine the positions of the four nations claiming a stake.
The UK: The Flag Planters
The UK was the first to physically assert control, landing two Royal Marines on Rockall in 1955 and hoisting the Union Jack. In 1972, the UK passed the Island of Rockall Act, formally incorporating it into Scotland’s Inverness-shire.
However, there’s a catch: in 1997, the UK itself conceded that Rockall was indeed a rock, not an island—undermining its own claim to EEZ rights. Yet, the UK continues to assert a 22 km exclusion zone and actively enforces it, especially post-Brexit.
British authorities argue that St Kilda, a nearby archipelago roughly 311 km away, provides the legal grounding for its claim. But St Kilda is uninhabited, weakening this argument in UNCLOS terms.
Despite lacking population or resources, the UK maintains its claim for geostrategic reasons and to protect fishing interests—especially from Irish vessels.
Ireland: Defending Generations of Fishermen
Ireland takes a more nuanced stance. It does not claim Rockall itself, but strongly objects to British ownership. The concern? That UK control of the rock could be used to enforce fishing restrictions on waters Irish vessels have used for generations.
Ireland instead claims part of the Rockall Plateau based on proximity to the Irish mainland and historical usage.
In 1988, Ireland and the UK agreed to divide the undersea plateau roughly in half. But this agreement excluded Iceland and Denmark, who weren’t too thrilled. Ireland continues to emphasize that historical usage trumps territorial assertion, and even immortalized its opposition in song—the Wolfe Tones’ “Rock on Rockall” skewers Britain’s claim with salty satire.
Denmark: Enter the Faroese
Denmark’s claim is indirect, flowing through its autonomous territory—the Faroe Islands, which lie approximately 590 km from Rockall. In 1985, Denmark declared the entire Rockall Plateau as a natural extension of the Faroese continental shelf.
Their argument: Rockall and the Faroes are part of an underwater microcontinent. On a waterless topographic map, you can even trace a visible ridge connecting the two.
However, since the Faroes manage their own fisheries, the legal entanglements grow murky. Denmark handles foreign policy, but fishing rights are local—a bureaucratic limbo that weakens their claim.
Iceland: Strongest Effort, Weakest Submission
Iceland claims the entire Rockall-Hatton Plateau as part of its continental shelf, despite being the farthest (over 700 km away). Reykjavik has surveyed over 1.3 million km² of seafloor—an area 13 times the size of Iceland—to support its claim.
Iceland also ridicules other claims. It dismisses Britain’s St Kilda argument by calling it an “effectively uninhabited” island, and it hasn’t shied away from diplomatic shade.
But here’s the twist: Iceland has never submitted its claim to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), citing concerns that doing so might jeopardize its legal position.
Translation? Iceland doesn’t want the UN to settle the fight, possibly fearing that the verdict won’t go its way.
The UN’s Hands Are Tied
By 2010, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK had submitted their claims to the CLCS—but Iceland did not. As a result, no consensus could be reached.
The CLCS requires all disputing nations to file claims before issuing recommendations. Iceland’s absence stalled the process, and to this day, no formal ruling has been made.
The UN is waiting. So are the fish.
The Brexit Factor: More Fuel on the Fire
The UK’s departure from the EU in 2016 made matters worse. Now that Britain is no longer part of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, tensions over access have increased—especially between the UK and Ireland.
In 2019, Scottish ministers threatened to deploy ships to defend Rockall’s waters, while British vessels began pushing Irish fishing boats away. It’s the most visible confrontation in recent years—and one that risks escalating without resolution.
The Oil Question: What If There Is Something Under There?
Estimates of oil reserves beneath Rockall vary widely:
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UK gov’t estimate (2023): 2.5 billion barrels
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Geological Society (1999): up to 75 billion barrels
Even if reality lands somewhere in between, such a discovery would transform the dispute from legal oddity to potential flashpoint. Add in the prospect of rare earth minerals, and the stakes get much higher.
So far, harsh weather and uncertain yields have deterred full-scale exploration. But the possibility remains—and that’s enough to keep everyone nervous.
The Real Issue: Pride, Precedent, and Power
Despite the fishing, the gas, and the oil, the Rockall dispute isn’t truly about resources.
It’s about sovereignty. International precedent. National image.
Ceding Rockall might signal weakness. Or it could affect future claims in unrelated areas. And no nation—especially not the UK or Iceland—is eager to look like they blinked first.
Until Iceland submits a formal claim, the UN won’t intervene. Until then, Rockall remains a geopolitical paradox—a worthless rock no one wants to live on, but everyone wants to own.
🧠 FAQ: Rockall Bank Explained
Q: What is Rockall Bank?
A small, uninhabited rock in the North Atlantic, part of a larger underwater plateau rich in potential resources.
Q: Why are four nations claiming it?
Because of its potential for exclusive fishing, oil, and mineral rights based on international maritime law.
Q: Who owns Rockall?
Technically, no one definitively. The UK claims it but is challenged by Ireland, Denmark (via the Faroes), and Iceland.
Q: Why hasn’t the UN resolved it?
Because Iceland hasn’t submitted its claim to the relevant UN commission, halting progress.
Q: Could Rockall contain oil or gas?
Possibly—estimates range from 2.5 to 75 billion barrels of oil, but none has been commercially extracted yet.
