Elgol () is a village on the shores of
Loch Scavaig towards the end of the
Strathaird peninsula in the
Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye, is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated by the Cuillin, the rocky slopes of which provide some of ...
, in the
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...
.
Name
According to tradition, its name derives from a battle fought with five ships by Aella, a follower of
Vortigern
Vortigern (; , ; ; ; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; ; , , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Sub-Roman Britain, Britain, known perhaps as a king of the Britons or at least ...
, against the Picts and Scots ("Aella-gol").
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.
Gallery
File:Schotland Elgol en Cuillins 11-05-2010 17-15-37.JPG, Elgol Bay
File:Elgol harbour boat trips schedules.jpg, Boat trips from Elgol
File:"Investor" - geograph.org.uk - 1172002.jpg, ''Investor'' fishing boat in Elgol bay
File:Elgol beach - geograph.org.uk - 391555.jpg, Elgol beach looking north west across Loch Scavaig towards the Cuillin
File:Elgol Bay, August 2019.jpg, Elgol Bay August 2019
File:Elgol's Highland Cow.jpg, Jazz Buchanan's Highland Cow
Present day
The village had a considerably higher population prior to the
Clearances. It now has a population of approximately 150. 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.
The village is also a terminal for two privately owned boat trips to
Loch Coruisk and the Small Isles along with a coffee shop, Bistro and Coruisk House Michelin Guide restaurant.
In 1972 the bulk carrier Nermo Smernokoff lost its full cargo of various cheeses which eventually washed up in Elgol Bay.
References
External links
Undiscovered Scotland - Elgol
Populated places in the Isle of Skye
{{SkyeLochalsh-geo-stub