Mallaig
Encyclopedia
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber
, on the west coast of the Highlands
of Scotland
. The local railway station, Mallaig
, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line
(Fort William & Mallaig branch), completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road
– the "Road to the Isles".
The village of Mallaig was founded in the 1840s, when Lord Lovat, owner of North Morar Estate, divided up the farm of Mallaigvaig into seventeen parcels of land and encouraged his tenants to move to the western part of the peninsula and turn to fishing as a way of life. The population and local economy expanded rapidly in the 20th century with the arrival of the railway. Ferries
operated by Caledonian MacBrayne
and Bruce Watt Sea Cruises sail from the port to Armadale
on the Isle of Skye, Inverie
in Knoydart, and to the isles of Rùm
, Eigg
, Muck
, and Canna
. Mallaig is the main commercial fishing port on the West Coast of Scotland, and during the 1960s was the busiest herring port in Europe. Mallaig prided itself at that time on its famous traditionally smoked kippers but today only one traditional smokehouse remains, Jaffy's and Sons. Mallaig and the surrounding area is a popular area for holidays.
The community is bilingual, speaking English and Gaelic.
facilities allowing the local population access to all forms of education from leisure classes to university degrees through Lochaber College and the UHI Millennium Institute
. The College is one of the most successful of its kind in Britain, with over 8% of the local population accessing its facilities. The college has published a PDF version of the 19th Century Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands
report. Recently the Learning Centre has opened a Marine specific vocational centre and is at the forefort of developing Marine Certification courses for fishermen, as well as being a RYA certified centre.
Mallaig has its own Primary School which recently accepted the Gaelic Medium schoolchildren from neighbouring village Morar Lady Lovat Primary School, to allow that school to focus more on their English medium students.
Mallaig also has its own High School, opened in 1989 (however previously a secondary school existed in a slightly different location before this.) which caters for Mallaig, neighbours Morar and Arisaig, along with the nearby "Small Isles" Eigg
, Rùm
, Muck
, Canna
and finally for the nearby Knoydart Peninsula. The school has increasing numbers of pupils from the Small Isles, and as daily travel from home to school is impossible, these pupils are boarded in the schools Hostel.http://www.mallaighigh.highland.sch.uk
, the swimming pool and An Cala. It also has two hotels lots of self-catering accommodation and several guest houses scattered around the town.
There are two banks and three pubs. The village centre is compact and sits close to the harbour and railway station, with residential areas beyond to the south and east of the harbour. Most of the retail premises are in the main street, or on Davies Brae, which runs south from the village centre. The swimming pool is located at the high point of the village on Fank Brae.
There are also a couple of small minimarkets, and gift shops offering the usual Scottish
merchandise. An art gallery sells work by local artists. A small bookshop on Davies Brae looks very unprepossessing from outside (it's a Portakabin) but offers a good range of books including an extensive Scottish history and heritage choice. A heritage centre next to the railway station is based around old photographs of the locality, but as Mallaig has only existed during the age of photography this offers a good introduction to the history and heritage of the locality. There are Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland
churches, and also a Fishermen's Mission facility run by the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. A small petrol station with restricted opening times is located near the harbour.
links Mallaig railway station
by rail to Fort William
, Oban
and Glasgow
. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic Trans-Siberian and the Cuzco to Machu Picchu line in Peru. The four hour trip to Dumbarton Central railway station
passes through spectacular scenery including seascapes, lochsides, mountain and moorland terrain, and offers views of Loch Lomond
, the Gare Loch
, Rannoch Moor
, Ben Nevis
, Glenfinnan
and Glen Shiel
, and Loch Eil
to name just a few. The line also runs along the Clyde
between Helensburgh
and Glasgow
and offers views across the estuary.
In the summer the town is also visited by the Jacobite steam train
service from Fort William.
Sheil Buses operate a bus service from Mallaig to Fort William
connecting to the villages en-route. A bus service is also provided south along the A861 to the villages of Acharacle and Strontian.
Mallaig is an important ferry port and there are regular Caledonian MacBrayne
ferry services to Armadale
on the Isle of Skye, a thirty minute sailing. Caledonian MacBrayne
also runs a daily service to the Small Isles
of Canna
, Rùm
, Eigg
and Muck
, although the timetable, itinerary and calling points differ from day to day. Calmac also offers a non-landing ticket which allows a visitor to cruise the Small Isles and enjoy the spectacular scenery.
In addition, a local ferry service owned by former lifeboatman Bruce Watt sails daily to Inverie
in Knoydart, a very remote village, and also calls by prior arrangement (easily made) at Tarbet
in Morar
, a location that is only accessible by sea. This service also offers a non-landing cruise through scenic Loch Nevis
.
series of films, and the Hogwarts Express could often be seen in the summer during periods of filming. Many other local areas were used for location filming.
The 1996 film Breaking the Waves
was largely filmed in Mallaig and the surrounding area, and the beach scenes of Local Hero
were filmed at Morar
and Arisaig
, a few miles to the south.
Lochaber
District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...
, on the west coast of the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The local railway station, Mallaig
Mallaig railway station
Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the ferry port of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is a terminus on the West Highland Line, from and north of Glasgow Queen Street railway station.- History :...
, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
(Fort William & Mallaig branch), completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road
A830 road
The A830, sometimes known as the Road to the Isles , is a road in Lochaber, in the Highlands of Scotland, which connects the town of Fort William to the port of Mallaig....
– the "Road to the Isles".
The village of Mallaig was founded in the 1840s, when Lord Lovat, owner of North Morar Estate, divided up the farm of Mallaigvaig into seventeen parcels of land and encouraged his tenants to move to the western part of the peninsula and turn to fishing as a way of life. The population and local economy expanded rapidly in the 20th century with the arrival of the railway. Ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operated by Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
and Bruce Watt Sea Cruises sail from the port to Armadale
Armadale, Isle of Skye
Armadale is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Like most of Sleat, but unlike most of Skye, the area is fairly fertile, and though there are hills, most do not reach a great height...
on the Isle of Skye, Inverie
Inverie
Inverie is the only village in Knoydart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is linked by ferry to Mallaig, but there is no road access to thearea from the rest of Scotland. The village is home to the remotest public house in mainland Great Britain, 'The Old Forge'.Inverie lies on the north side of...
in Knoydart, and to the isles of Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
, Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, Muck
Muck, Scotland
Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach...
, and Canna
Canna, Scotland
Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is long and wide...
. Mallaig is the main commercial fishing port on the West Coast of Scotland, and during the 1960s was the busiest herring port in Europe. Mallaig prided itself at that time on its famous traditionally smoked kippers but today only one traditional smokehouse remains, Jaffy's and Sons. Mallaig and the surrounding area is a popular area for holidays.
The community is bilingual, speaking English and Gaelic.
Education
Mallaig has extensive distance learningDistance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
facilities allowing the local population access to all forms of education from leisure classes to university degrees through Lochaber College and the UHI Millennium Institute
UHI Millennium Institute
The University of the Highlands and Islands is a federation of 13 colleges and research institutions in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland delivering higher education. Its executive office is in Inverness.-History:...
. The College is one of the most successful of its kind in Britain, with over 8% of the local population accessing its facilities. The college has published a PDF version of the 19th Century Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands
Napier Commission
The Napier Commission, officially the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands was a royal commission and public inquiry into the condition of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.The commission was appointed in...
report. Recently the Learning Centre has opened a Marine specific vocational centre and is at the forefort of developing Marine Certification courses for fishermen, as well as being a RYA certified centre.
Mallaig has its own Primary School which recently accepted the Gaelic Medium schoolchildren from neighbouring village Morar Lady Lovat Primary School, to allow that school to focus more on their English medium students.
Mallaig also has its own High School, opened in 1989 (however previously a secondary school existed in a slightly different location before this.) which caters for Mallaig, neighbours Morar and Arisaig, along with the nearby "Small Isles" Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
, Muck
Muck, Scotland
Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach...
, Canna
Canna, Scotland
Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is long and wide...
and finally for the nearby Knoydart Peninsula. The school has increasing numbers of pupils from the Small Isles, and as daily travel from home to school is impossible, these pupils are boarded in the schools Hostel.http://www.mallaighigh.highland.sch.uk
Local services
Mallaig has several restaurants, cafes, and takeaways along with an excellent community run Swimming Pool and Leisure centre. The main focus is on the tourist trade during the summer, however some are open all year round like the Fishermen's MissionFishermen's Mission
The Fishermen's Mission - the full title of which is The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen - is a British charitable organisation founded and run on Christian principles. It was founded in 1881 by Ebenezer Joseph Mather...
, the swimming pool and An Cala. It also has two hotels lots of self-catering accommodation and several guest houses scattered around the town.
There are two banks and three pubs. The village centre is compact and sits close to the harbour and railway station, with residential areas beyond to the south and east of the harbour. Most of the retail premises are in the main street, or on Davies Brae, which runs south from the village centre. The swimming pool is located at the high point of the village on Fank Brae.
There are also a couple of small minimarkets, and gift shops offering the usual Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
merchandise. An art gallery sells work by local artists. A small bookshop on Davies Brae looks very unprepossessing from outside (it's a Portakabin) but offers a good range of books including an extensive Scottish history and heritage choice. A heritage centre next to the railway station is based around old photographs of the locality, but as Mallaig has only existed during the age of photography this offers a good introduction to the history and heritage of the locality. There are Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
churches, and also a Fishermen's Mission facility run by the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen. A small petrol station with restricted opening times is located near the harbour.
Transport
The West Highland LineWest Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
links Mallaig railway station
Mallaig railway station
Mallaig railway station is a railway station serving the ferry port of Mallaig, Lochaber, in the Highland region of Scotland. This station is a terminus on the West Highland Line, from and north of Glasgow Queen Street railway station.- History :...
by rail to Fort William
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
, Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic Trans-Siberian and the Cuzco to Machu Picchu line in Peru. The four hour trip to Dumbarton Central railway station
Dumbarton Central railway station
Dumbarton Central railway station serves the town of Dumbarton in the West Dunbartonshire region of Scotland. This station is on the West Highland Line and the North Clyde Line, 25 km north west of .- Building :...
passes through spectacular scenery including seascapes, lochsides, mountain and moorland terrain, and offers views of Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...
, the Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
, Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor
Rannoch Moor is a large expanse of around 50 square miles of boggy moorland to the west of Loch Rannoch, in Perth and Kinross and Lochaber, Highland, partly northern Argyll and Bute, Scotland...
, Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. It is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Lochaber area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William....
, Glenfinnan
Glenfinnan
Glenfinnan is a village in Lochaber area of the Highlands of Scotland. It is located at the northern end of Loch Shiel, at the foot of Glenfinnan.- Glenfinnan Monument :...
and Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel
Glen Shiel is a glen in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.The glen runs approximately 9 miles from north-west to south-east, from sea level at the village of Shiel Bridge and Loch Duich to the Cluanie Inn at the western end of Loch Cluanie and the start of Glenmoriston.W. H...
, and Loch Eil
Loch Eil
Loch Eil is a sea loch in Lochaber, Scotland that opens into Loch Linnhe near the town of Fort William.Loch Eil Outward Bound railway station and Locheilside railway station are both situated on the northern shore of the loch....
to name just a few. The line also runs along the Clyde
Clyde
-Places named Clyde:In Scotland:* River Clyde* Firth of ClydeIn Australia:* Clyde, New South Wales* Clyde, Victoria* Clyde River, New South WalesIn Canada:* Clyde, Prince Edward Island* Clyde, Quebec* Clyde, Ontario* Clyde, Alberta...
between Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and offers views across the estuary.
In the summer the town is also visited by the Jacobite steam train
The Jacobite (Steam Train)
The Jacobite is a steam locomotive hauled tourist train service that operates over part of the West Highland Railway Line in Scotland. It has been operating under various names and with different operators every summer since 1984...
service from Fort William.
Sheil Buses operate a bus service from Mallaig to Fort William
Fort William
Fort William may refer to:In Canada:*Fort William, Ontario, a Canadian city which, together with Port Arthur, became part of Thunder Bay in 1970**Fort William , a related Canadian federal electoral district...
connecting to the villages en-route. A bus service is also provided south along the A861 to the villages of Acharacle and Strontian.
Mallaig is an important ferry port and there are regular Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
ferry services to Armadale
Armadale
-Places in Australia:*Armadale, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne*Armadale, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth*City of Armadale*Electoral district of Armadale*Armidale, New South Wales -Rail in Australia:...
on the Isle of Skye, a thirty minute sailing. Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west coast...
also runs a daily service to the Small Isles
Small Isles
The Small Isles are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainland Scotland.The four main islands are Canna, Rùm, Eigg and Muck...
of Canna
Canna
-Places:Australia*Canna, a locality in the Shire of Morawa, Western AustraliaItaly*Canna, Calabria, a comune in the Province of Cosenza*Cannae, a frazione in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, ApuliaScotland*Canna, Scotland, an island in Lochaber...
, Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
, Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
and Muck
Muck
Muck can refer to:*Muck *Muck, Scotland, an island in Scotland*Isle of Muck, a small island connected by sand spit to Portmuck, County Antrim, Northern Ireland*Muck , a number of actions...
, although the timetable, itinerary and calling points differ from day to day. Calmac also offers a non-landing ticket which allows a visitor to cruise the Small Isles and enjoy the spectacular scenery.
In addition, a local ferry service owned by former lifeboatman Bruce Watt sails daily to Inverie
Inverie
Inverie is the only village in Knoydart, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It is linked by ferry to Mallaig, but there is no road access to thearea from the rest of Scotland. The village is home to the remotest public house in mainland Great Britain, 'The Old Forge'.Inverie lies on the north side of...
in Knoydart, a very remote village, and also calls by prior arrangement (easily made) at Tarbet
Tarbet, Lochaber
Tarbet is a place on the south shore of Loch Nevis in Scotland, about 6 miles east of Mallaig. The name 'tarbet' refers to a portage or isthmus, in this case it is between Loch Nevis and Loch Morar....
in Morar
Morar
Morar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
, a location that is only accessible by sea. This service also offers a non-landing cruise through scenic Loch Nevis
Loch Nevis
Loch Nevis is a sea loch in Lochaber on the west coast of Scotland.It runs inland from the Sound of Sleat, and is bounded by the peninsula of Knoydart to the north and North Morar to the south....
.
Mallaig as a filming location
The Mallaig railway was used during the filming of the Harry PotterHarry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series of films, and the Hogwarts Express could often be seen in the summer during periods of filming. Many other local areas were used for location filming.
The 1996 film Breaking the Waves
Breaking the Waves
Breaking the Waves is a 1996 film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson. Set in the Scottish Highlands in the early 1970s, it tells the story of an unusual young woman, Bess McNeill, and of the love she has for Jan, her husband. The film is an international co-production led by Lars...
was largely filmed in Mallaig and the surrounding area, and the beach scenes of Local Hero
Local Hero
Local Hero is a 1983 Scottish comedy-drama film starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster. It was directed by Bill Forsyth and produced by David Puttnam....
were filmed at Morar
Morar
Morar is a small village on the west coast of Scotland, south of Mallaig. The name Morar is also applied to the wider district around the village....
and Arisaig
Arisaig
Arisaig is a village in Lochaber, Invernessshire, on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands.-History:On 20 September 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland for France from a place near the village following the failure of the Jacobite Rising. The site of his departure is marked by the Prince's...
, a few miles to the south.