Rockall is a very small, unremarkable and uninhabited rocky island located around 480 km off the west coast of mainland Scotland. At just over 25 meters wide by 21 meters high, the extinct volcanic plug doesn’t seem to have any outstanding features of particular interest. Yet, this tiny island has been at the center of an international dispute for over half a century. Four nations - the UK, Ireland, Iceland and Denmark, have all stalked claim on the island. Why would anyone be so keen on a piece of rock in the middle of nowhere? The answer lies in the vast tracts of surrounding fisheries and the huge oil and gas reserves hidden in the surrounding seabed.

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