Eigg – in all it’s beauty

Eigg – an island grouped within the Inner Hebrides is to be found about halfway up the west coast of Scotland, a ferry ride from the mainland ports of Mallaig and Arisaig.

The island is small, about 5 miles by 3.5 miles but what it lacks in size it certainly more than makes up for in beauty. The word that you’ll hear regularly on the island is the Sgurr or An Sgurr is the huge pitchstone rock that dominates the island, it was created as a result of a volcanic flow that was forced along a river bed between land masses that eventually fell away and left the only peak on the island. The islands name Eigg was taken from an old Norse word for Notch or Wedge which refers to the shape of the Sgurr.

With over 100 permanent residents on the island, a vibrant population welcomes visitors, there’s a flourishing artistic community on the island with many musicians and crafts folk calling Eigg home. There are regular concerts, ceilidhs and workshops to attend so check the islands tourist board website for information on dates and times.

Amazingly the island has turned to solar wind and water power to generate all of its own renewable energy turning its back on fossil fuels. It owns and manages its own electricity production, truly impressive.

The attraction of course is the island itself, its clean white sandy beaches, the lure of the Sgurr offering some of the best views in Scotland. Despite its beauty the island attracts on a small numbers of tourists and consequently there is always solitude to be found, even on such a small island. Accommodation is good for travellers but should be booked in advance.

A reason many visitors go to Eigg is to see the abundant wildlife, birds such as kestrels, falcons, owls and even golden eagles, just a few of the 212 bird species that call Eigg home. The coastline offers the chance to see otters, seals, dolphins and Minke whales.

The allure of the island is certainly in its serenity but the belies its bloody and violent history, something that the islanders will readily inform you of. There is of course a long history with its Scandinavian neighbours reaching back over 8000 years. Its more recent history has a mixed degree of success with aborted attempts to popularise the island failing and driving down inhabitant numbers as low as 39. Thankfully that trend was arrested and the island is now flourishing again.

The journey by train from Glasgow to the mainland port of Mallaig is a five and a half hour journey and is claimed to be one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world. In fact the journey includes crossing the stunning Glenfinnan viaduct made famous in the Harry Potter films.

How you can support Eigg

Whether you’re interested in Eigg’s cultural or natural heritage or in supporting any of the development projects which help retain and grow our population, any donation you make helps enormously and is hugely appreciated. For more information please visit: Support Eigg - The Isle of Eigg

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