Elgol

Elgol (Scottish Gaelic: Ealaghol) is a village on the shores of Loch Scavaig towards the end of the Strathaird peninsula in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands.

Elgol
  • Scottish Gaelic: Ealaghol

The village hall in Elgol
Elgol
Location within the Isle of Skye
OS grid referenceNG521142
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townISLE OF SKYE
Postcode districtIV49
Dialling code01471
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Name

According to tradition, its name derives from a battle fought with five ships by Aella, a follower of Vortigern, against the Picts and Scots (“Aella-gol”).[1]

History

The Strathaird peninsula was historically a heartland of the Mackinnons, a robustly Jacobite clan. On 4 July 1746, the Young Pretender found sanctuary at Elgol in the course of his wanderings under the protection of Mackinnon of Mackinnon and Captain John Mackinnon of Elgol. The cave where he is said to have waited for a boat to the mainland (“Prince Charlie’s cave”, or “Uamh Phrionnsa”) can still be visited today, a short walk to the south of the village.[2]

  • Elgol Bay
  • Boat trips from Elgol
  • Investor fishing boat in Elgol bay
  • Elgol beach looking north west across Loch Scavaig towards the Cuillin
  • Elgol Bay August 2019

Present day

The village had a considerably higher population prior to the Clearances. It now has a population of approximately 150.[3] Elgol's scenic attractions have drawn in many outsiders seeking holiday homes and a majority of the properties there are no longer occupied on a year-round basis. In the 2011 census, 31% of the residents were reported as speaking Gaelic.[4]

The village is also a terminal for two privately owned boat trips to Loch Coruisk and the Small Isles along with two coffee shops and a restaurant.

References
  1. Cooper, Derek (1983). Skye. Routledge. p. 52.
  2. Blaikie, Walter (1897). Itinerary of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Edinburgh: Scottish History Society. p. 55.
  3. Scotland census results, 2001
  4. "Scottish Census 2011". Scotland's Census. Output area: S00118018. Retrieved 2 March 2018.CS1 maint: location (link)

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