View source for Earth:Eigg

{{Short description|Island of Scotland}}
{{Infobox island
|coordinates = {{coord|56.9|-6.15|display=inline}}
|Image=View of Galmisdale and An Sgurr - geograph.org.uk - 823602.jpg
|ImageCaption=An Sgùrr
|location_map=Scotland Lochaber
|caption=Eigg shown within Lochaber
|GridReference=NM476868
|celtic name=Eige
|gaelic pronunciation={{IPA-gd|ˈekʲə||Eige.ogg}}
|scots name=Eigg<ref>{{cite web | url=https://d3lmsxlb5aor5x.cloudfront.net/library/document/Map_of_Scotland_in_Scots-Guide_and_gazetteer.pdf | title=Map of Scotland in Scots - Guide and gazetteer}}</ref>
|norse name=Unknown
|meaning of name=Scottish Gaelic for 'notched island' (''eag'')
|area= {{convert|3049|ha|sqmi|1|abbr=on}}
|area rank=28
|highest elevation=An Sgùrr, {{convert|393|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
|Population=105<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-39630361| title=New baby helps boost Isle of Eigg's population| work=BBC News| date=18 April 2017| access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref>
|population density =2.7 people/km<sup>2</sup><ref name=Smith/>
|population rank=47
|main settlement=Cleadale
|island group=[[Earth:Small Isles|Small Isles]]
|local authority=Highland
|references=<ref name=Smith>Haswell-Smith (2004) pp. 134–35</ref><ref>{{Ordnance Survey}}</ref>
}}

'''Eigg''' ({{IPAc-en|ɛ|g}}; {{lang-gd|Eige}}; {{lang-sco|Eigg}}) is one of the [[Earth:Small Isles|Small Isles]] in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the [[Earth:Ardnamurchan|Ardnamurchan]] peninsula. Eigg is {{convert|9|km|mi|frac=2|abbr=off}} long from north to south, and {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} east to west. With an area of {{convert|12|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}, it is the second-largest of the Small Isles after [[Earth:Rùm|Rùm]]. Eigg generates virtually all of its electricity using renewable energy.<ref>{{citation| title=60 Minutes (US TV series)| date=26 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="cntraveller.com">[https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/islands-scotland THE 20 MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS TO VISIT IN SCOTLAND]</ref>

Eigg has been owned by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust since 1997, as a community ownership; another stakeholder, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, manages the island as a nature reserve.<ref>[http://www.visitsmallisles.com/si/about/history History A Snapshot of the Small Isles History]</ref> In April 2019, National Geographic discussed the island in an on-line article, estimating the population at 107 and the average number of annual visitors at 10,000.<ref name="nationalgeographic.com">[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/visit-island-eigg-wild-beautiful-historic-summer-trip/ Visit a wild and beautiful Scottish island owned by its residents]</ref>

==Geology==
The larger part of the island is formed from [[Chemistry:Olivine|olivine]]-phyric [[Earth:Basalt|basalt]] flows erupted during the Palaeocene [[Earth:Epoch (geology)|epoch]]. Together with flows of [[Chemistry:Hawaiite|hawaiite]] and [[Chemistry:Mugearite|mugearite]], these form the Eigg Lava Formation. The Sgùrr is formed from [[Earth:Porphyritic|porphyritic]] [[Earth:Rhyolite|rhyolitic]] [[Earth:Pitchstone|pitchstone]] erupted into a valley during the [[Earth:Eocene|Eocene]] epoch. It displays columnar jointing formed as the lava cooled.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Troll|first1=Valentin R.|last2=Emeleus|first2=C. Henry|last3=Nicoll|first3=Graeme R.|last4=Mattsson|first4=Tobias|last5=Ellam|first5=Robert M.|last6=Donaldson|first6=Colin H.|last7=Harris|first7=Chris|date=2019-01-24|title=A large explosive silicic eruption in the British Palaeogene Igneous Province|url= |journal=Scientific Reports|language=en|volume=9|issue=1|pages=494|doi=10.1038/s41598-018-35855-w|pmid=30679443|pmc=6345756|bibcode=2019NatSR...9..494T|issn=2045-2322}}</ref> Outcrops of an underlying [[Earth:Conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]] containing clasts of Torridonian sandstone and basalt are visible in places. These igneous and sedimentary rocks are collected together as the Sgùrr of Eigg Pitchstone Formation.

In the north of the island are a series of sedimentary rocks of Middle Jurassic and [[Earth:Upper Cretaceous|Upper Cretaceous]] age. The oldest of these, and hence lowest from a [[Earth:Stratigraphy|stratigraphic perspective]] is the fossiliferous Bearreraig Sandstone which is [[Earth:Calcareous|calcareous]] in nature. It is overlain by the [[Earth:Lealt Shale|Lealt Shale]] which consists of a lower and an upper grey [[Chemistry:Shale|shale]] (respectively the Kildonnan and Lonfearn members) separated by a thin band of [[Biology:Algae|algal]] [[Earth:Limestone|limestone]].

The shale is overlain by the thicker Valtos Sandstone which contains [[Earth:Concretion|concretion]]s. It is found along the east coast northwards from Poll nam Parlan and around the northern end and down the eastern side of the Bay of Laig.  This in turn is overlain by the bivalve-rich limestone and shale of the [[Earth:Duntulm Formation|Duntulm Formation]] and lastly the dark shales and [[Biology:Ostracod|ostracod]]-bearing limestones of the [[Earth:Kilmaluag Formation|Kilmaluag Formation]].

A fossilised limb bone, considered most likely to be from a Middle Jurassic-era stegosaurian dinosaur, was discovered at a coastal exposed Valtos Sandstone Formation in 2020; it is the first confirmed dinosaur fossil to be found in Scotland away from the Isle of Skye.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-53917742 |title=Eigg beach runner stumbles on dinosaur bone |publisher=BBC |date=26 August 2020 |access-date=19 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1017/S1755691020000080|title=First dinosaur from the Isle of Eigg (Valtos Sandstone Formation, Middle Jurassic), Scotland|year=2020|last1=Panciroli|first1=Elsa|last2=Funston|first2=Gregory F.|last3=Holwerda|first3=Femke|last4=Maidment|first4=Susannah C. R.|last5=Foffa|first5=Davide|last6=Larkin|first6=Nigel|last7=Challands|first7=Tom|last8=Depolo|first8=Paige E.|last9=Goldberg|first9=Daniel|last10=Humpage|first10=Matthew|last11=Ross|first11=Dugald|last12=Wilkinson|first12=Mark|last13=Brusatte|first13=Stephen L.|journal=Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh|volume=111|issue=3|pages=157–172|url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:8d46779c-06b4-4e74-bd7d-92cac92ee814|doi-access=free}}</ref>

These various formations are collected together as the [[Earth:Great Estuarine Group|Great Estuarine Group]]. The Staffin Shale which also contains siltstones, clays and limestone is found on the southwest side of Laig Bay, stratigraphically above the Great Estuarine rocks. Exposed within the Laig Gorge is the [[Earth:Cretaceous|Cretaceous]] age Laig Gorge Limestone, the base of which is sandstone and conglomerate.

Both the igneous and the sedimentary rocks are cut through by a swarm of Palaeocene age [[Earth:Dike (geology)|dykes]] generally aligned NW-SE. A handful of [[Earth:Fault (geology)|faults]] are mapped on the same alignment, the two most significant ones stretching SE from Bay of Laig. A band of micro[[Chemistry:Syenite|syenite]] stretches around the hillside southeast of the Sgùrr.

Isolated pockets of [[Earth:Peat|peat]] of postglacial origin are to be found behind Bay of Laig whilst to its north are areas of hummocky [[Earth:Moraine|moraine]]. Landslips occupy the whole coastal strip in the northeast of the island and the embayment behind Bay of Laig and effectively mask much of the outcrop of the [[Earth:Mesozoic|Mesozoic]] sediments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.largeimages.bgs.ac.uk/iip/mapsportal.html?id=1002901 |website=BGS mapping portal| title=1:50000 Sheet 60 (Scotland) Rum Solid and Drift Geology| publisher=British Geological Survey |access-date=8 January 2019}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Eigg 1892 map.jpg|left|thumb|{{center|An 1892 map of Eigg.<ref name ="Buckley">Harvie-Brown, J. A. and Buckley, T. E. (1892), ''A Vertebrate Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides''. Pub. David Douglas., Edinburgh. Facing P. LVI.</ref>}}]]
<!-- Infobox template for pronunciation-->
{| class="collapsible infobox collapsed" width="280" style="font-size: 90%;"
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!colspan="2" bgcolor="#efefef"|Pronunciation
|- class="note"
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|Scots Gaelic:|| An Laimhrig
|-
|Pronunciation:|| {{IPA-gd|əˈlˠ̪ajvɾʲɪkʲ||AnLaimhrig.ogg}}
|-
!colspan="2" bgcolor="#efefef"|
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|Scots Gaelic:|| Clèadail
|-
|Pronunciation:|| {{IPA-gd|ˈkʰliət̪al||Cleadail.ogg}}
|-
!colspan="2" bgcolor="#efefef"|
|-
|Scots Gaelic:|| Eige
|-
|Pronunciation:|| {{IPA-gd|ˈekʲə||Eige.ogg}}
|-
!colspan="2" bgcolor="#efefef"|
|-
|Scots Gaelic:|| Uamh Fhraing
|-
|Pronunciation:|| {{IPA-gd|ˈuəv ˈɾaŋʲkʲ||UamhFhraing.ogg}}
|-
|}
The centre of the island is a [[Earth:Moorland|moorland]] [[Earth:Plateau|plateau]], rising to {{convert|393|m|ft|abbr=on}} at An Sgùrr, a dramatic stump of [[Earth:Pitchstone|pitchstone]], sheer on three sides. Walkers who reach the top can, in good weather, take in views of Mull, Coll, Muck, the Outer Hebrides, Rùm, Skye, and the mountains of Lochaber on the mainland.

The plateau in the northern part of the island, at Beinn Buidhne, drops to a fertile coastal plain on its western side, containing Cleadale (''cliff-valley''), the main settlement on Eigg. At the southern end of the plain, in the centre of the island, lies the bay of Laig, known for its [[Chemistry:Quartz|quartz]] [[Earth:Beach|beach]], called the "singing sands" (''Tràigh a' Bhìgeil'') on account of the squeaking noise it makes if walked on when dry.

The plateau is cleaved by a central valley, stretching from the vicinity of Laig, in the north, to Galmisdale at its southeastern end, which forms the main port. Beyond the southeast coast lies the small islet of Eilean Chathastail.
{{clear left}}

==Etymology==
Adomnán calls the island ''Egea insula'' in his ''Vita Columbae'' (c. 700 AD). Other historical names have been ''Ega'', ''Ego'', ''Ege'', ''Egge'', ''Egg'' and ''Eige''. A 2013 study suggested two origins: Gaelic ''eig'', meaning "notch", or Norse ''egg'' or ''eggjar'', meaning "a sharp edge on a mountain", as in Egge, Sogn og Fjordane.<ref>Broderick G., 2013, [http://www.clanntuirc.co.uk/JSNS/V7/JSNS7%20Broderick.pdf Some Island Names in the Former 'Kingdom of the Isles': A Reappraisal.] The Journal of Scottish Name Studies 7:1-28.</ref>

==History==
===Early history===

[[File:Path to An Sgurr - geograph.org.uk - 826199.jpg|thumb|left|Slope down to Galmisdale. The metalworking site is just beyond the prow, on the left]]<!--there isn't a closer picture of the Bronze Age site in commons-->
At Rubh' An Tangaird,{{refn|group="note"|south of Galmisdale}} near the southern coast, there are the remains of an oval house<!--of which there isn't a single picture in commons-->, with thick walls, and an upright stone at each side of the doorway, suggestive of grandeur; comparable structures in Shetland{{refn|group="note"|the ''Benie Hoose'', and Stanydale ''temple''}} suggest a [[History:Neolithic|neolithic]] date.

The island also appears to have been occupied towards the end of the neolithic era, and start of the [[History:Bronze Age|Bronze Age]], as a cache of flints has been found west of Galmisdale, including a [[Engineering:Scraper (archaeology)|thumbnail scraper]], and a barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, typical of the Beaker People has been found to the south of Kildonan.{{refn|group="note"|now in the Edinburgh Royal Museum}}

Later in the Bronze Age, the location of the Galmisdale cache{{refn|group="note"|adjacent to a prominent boulder}} was used for metalworking; moulds for axes and knives typical of the period from 1000 to 800 BC have been discovered there,{{refn|group="note"|in 2001, during the burial of a pet cat}} together with significant metalworking debris.{{refn|group="note"|the rarity of such finds, for the Bronze Age, gives the site some importance for archaeology at a national level}}

{{clear left}}

=== Iron Age ===

[[File:Gravel beach, North-east Isle of Eigg - geograph.org.uk - 1466077.jpg|thumb|The north-eastern coast{{refn|group="note"|The basalt shaft above ''oracle cave'' is in the background, barely visible}}]]<!-- a closer picture would be great -->
Early [[History:Iron Age|Iron Age]] hut circles are found throughout the island. One located near the North East coast contains within its bounds a cave to which walls have been artificially added; several [[Engineering:Hammerstone|hammerstone]]s are located in the cave and surrounding vicinity, some with concretions of crushed shells stuck to them. The cave site is below a dramatic [[Earth:Basalt|basalt]] shaft interrupting the general appearance of the cliffs, and is framed by two large boulders, one of which resembles an eagle;{{refn|group="note"|hence the location's traditional name: ''Eagle's spur'' (''Sron na h-Iolaire'')}} archaeologists have thus concluded that the site must have been regarded as ''special'', possibly being used for hermitic purposes{{refn|group="note"|though nothing is known about Iron Age religion in the region}} (being too remote and difficult to reach for ordinary domestic use), and have named the site the ''oracle cave''.

[[File:Loch nam Ban Mora - geograph.org.uk - 396869.jpg|thumb|left|Loch nam Ban Mora]]
Later in the Iron Age, the inhabitants of Eigg chose to fortify the island. Small fortifications restrict access to rocky knolls,{{refn|group="note"|Garbh Bealach (in moorland, west of Galmisdale), and Poll Duchaill (on the north coast of western Eigg)}} a promontory,{{refn|group="note"|Rudha na Crannaig ("Pulpit Point"), south of Kildonan}} and a stack;{{refn|group="note"|Corragan Mor}}<!--would be nice if there was a picture of this--> a wall also bars access to the top of An Sgùrr, {{convert|1/4|mi|m|abbr=off}} west of the summit<!--would be nice if there was a picture of this wall, as well-->, except for a single narrow entrance.{{refn|group="note"|through which the modern path passes}} More substantial Duns existed at Galmisdale Point,{{refn|group="note"|beyond the post-office, and bisected by the road to the former ferry terminal}} at Upper Grulin,{{refn|group="note"|near the coast, to the west of the stream that runs past the Bothy}} and at Loch nam Ban Mora; the last of these is located on a natural island (entirely encompassed by the Dun's walls,{{refn|group="note"|some parts are still more than a yard high}}) which local traditions claim was once inhabited by unusually large women.{{refn|group="note"|hence the name of the Loch – the ''Loch of the Big Women''}}

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=== Irish Christianity ===

[[File:An Sgurr from a sea kayak perspective - geograph.org.uk - 1256402.jpg|thumb|The coast at Kildonnan]]<!-- a picture of the pictish stone would be better-->
The Irish missionary activity which brought Columba to [[Earth:Iona|Iona]] also brought Donnán to Eigg, where he attempted to establish a monastery, at ''Kildonnan''.{{refn|group="note"|literally, ''Donnán's church''}} According to traditional legends, a Pictish queen took objection to this breach of her sovereignty, and sent agents to Eigg to kill him,{{refn|group="note"|some accounts report his assailants as pirates}} which they did on the eve of Easter, in 617; traditionally, Donnán had a large number of companions with him,{{refn|group="note"|variously 51 – making it one for each week of the year, including Donnán – or 150}} whom he requested were killed first.{{refn|group="note"|some accounts say they were stabbed to death, others that they were burnt}} Regardless of whether accounts of Donnán's death are pious forgeries or not, the monastic community continued (or was re-populated) after Donnán's death, under the authority of Iona.

By the following century, the monastery was significant enough for the death of its ''superior'',{{refn|group="note"|possibly an [[Religion:Abbot|abbot]]}} Oan, to be mentioned in the Annals of Ulster. The monastery was located within an oval enclosure, surrounded by a ditch, housing a rectangular chapel in the centre, and a handful of smaller buildings either side.{{refn|group="note"|excavated in 2012, under the direction of Professor John Hunter OBE, from the [[Organization:University of Birmingham|University of Birmingham]], using Lottery funding<ref>[http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/monastery-where-christian-saint-was-martyred-is-uncovered-on-eigg-1-2465868 Monastery where Christian saint was martyred is uncovered on Eigg], Alistair Munro, The Scotsman, 14 August 2012</ref>}}<ref>John Hunter, ''Excavations at Kildonnan, Eigg'', 2012, University of Birmingham</ref> A handful of early inscribed stone slabs were located there,{{refn|group="note"|after excavation in 2012, they are now at the 20th century chapel of St. Donnan, in Cleadale}} of which one bears a Pictish design, comprising a hunting scene;{{refn|group="note"|the current mounting in Cleadale deliberately places this side against the wall; an old photograph of the Pictish design is located [https://i.rcahms.gov.uk/canmore/d/SC01564998.jpg here]}} the cross on its obverse is in a style which was fashionable in the 9th century.

[[File:Coast near Laig Bay - geograph.org.uk - 475877.jpg|thumb|left|The Bay of Laig. The square cairns are sited on the far coast, in the centre]]<!-- this is the closest picture in commons!!!-->
On the coast at the opposite side of the island,{{refn|group="note"|near Laig}} with a good view of Rùm, are 16 square cairns, lined up neatly into groups; they are each between 6 and 12 feet wide, most being bordered by a stone kerb, and some having upright corner stones. This form of cairn is usually associated with the Pictish kingdoms of [[History:Kingdom of Ce|Ce]] and Fortriu, a particularly close match being found at Garbeg,{{refn|group="note"|to the north of Drumnadrochit}} within the latter; comparable examples date to the early 8th century. The site may have some connection with the contemporary monastery at Kildonnan.<ref>[https://canmore.org.uk/site/22145/eigg-laig RCAHMS Archaeological Field Survey: Eigg, NM48NE 12]</ref>
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===Vikings===
 
[[File:Museum of ScotlandDSCF6324.jpg|thumb|Viking sword hilt found in a tumulus at Dail Sithean]]
From 833, Norse settlers established the [[Place:Kingdom of the Isles|Kingdom of the Isles]] throughout the Hebrides. A silver/bronze sword handle from the beginning of this period was found{{refn|group="note"|in 1830}} buried near Kildonnan,{{refn|group="note"|in a field named ''Dail Sithean'' – field of the fairy hills (ie. of tumuli)}} together with an iron axehead, leather belt, buckle, wollen cloth, and a [[Engineering:Sharpening stone|whetstone]]; the body to which these would once have belonged was absent. [[Earth:Wetland|Wetland]]s near Laig{{refn|group="note"|which became [[Earth:Peat|peat]]-bog, during later centuries}} appear to have been used for storing partly finished boat parts, as was common in Viking [[Place:Scandinavia|Scandinavia]] (moist timber is easier to modify); a few oak posts, 6 feet in length, for the [[Engineering:Stern|stern]] of a [[Engineering:Longship|longship]], have been found here, together with a simple bronze brooch.{{refn|group="note"|during 20th century drainage work; the finds are now in the Edinburgh Royal Museum, like the sword handle from Kildonnan}}

Despite being a dependency of the Norwegian king, a mid-11th century revolt by Somerled left practical authority with his heirs; the strip from Uist to the Rough Bounds, which contained the Small Isles, was ruled by the MacRory branch.<ref>''Kingship and Unity, Scotland 1000–1306'', G. W. S. Barrow, Edinburgh University Press, 1981</ref><ref>''Galloglas: Hebridean and West Highland Mercenary Warrior Kindreds in Medieval Ireland'', John Marsden, 2003</ref><ref>''Lismore: The Great Garden'', Robert Hay, 2009, Birlinn Ltd</ref><ref>''Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland'', 90 (1956–1957), A.A.M. Duncan, A.L Brown, pages 204-205</ref><ref>''The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland's Western Seaboard'', R. A. McDonald, 1997, Tuckwell Press</ref><ref name="Rix93">Rixson (2001) page 93.</ref> In 1266, the Treaty of Perth transferred the Kingdom of the Isles to the Scottish king, while expressly preserving the power of its local rulers; the MacRory lands became the ''Lordship of Garmoran'', a quasi-independent crown dependency, rather than an intrinsic part of Scotland.

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===Clan Ranald===

====Early rule====

[[File:Celtic Cross - geograph.org.uk - 396903.jpg|thumb|left|Remains of the cross at Kildonnan{{refn|group="note"|re-erected in the 1930s, in a concrete base, having spent some time resting on the walls of the ruined chapel}}]]
After nearly a century, the sole MacRory heir was Amy of Garmoran, who married John of Islay,<ref name=Smith/> leader of the MacDonalds, the most powerful group among Somerled's heirs. A decade later, they divorced, and John deprived his eldest son, Ranald, of the ability to inherit the MacDonald lands; as compensation, John granted Lordship of the Uists to Ranald's younger brother Godfrey, and made Ranald Lord of the remainder of Garmoran, including Eigg.<ref name="Rix93" /> At around this time, a large cross was built at Kildonnan;{{refn|group="note"|foliage on the cross matches a comparable cross from Campbelltown, dating to 1380; Ranald was nearing the end of his life at that time}} local traditions report that there were a series of such crosses arranged along the island, now only indicated by placenames.{{refn|group="note"|known traditional locations are, in order, Crois Moraig (''Cross of Mary'', at Grulin), Crois Mor (''Big cross'', at Kildonnan), Glac an Dorchadais (''Hollow of darkness'', in the middle of Eigg's central valley), and Druim na Croise (''Ridge of the cross'', near Howlin)}}

Upon the death of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles, his son Donald by Princess Margaret of Scotland, Ranald's half-brother, was named The Macdonald, Donald of Islay, and Lord of the Isles at Kildonan on Eigg in 1387. Ranald agreed to this decision of his father made clear in the Charter of 1373.<ref>Macdonald, Angus and Archibald, The Clan Donald, 1896p. 134</ref>

However, when Ranald died, Godfrey seized his lands, leading to violent disputes between his heirs (the Siol Gorrie) and those of Ranald (Clan Ranald). In 1427, fed up with this behaviour, king James I arrested the leaders, and declared the Lordship of Garmoran forfeit.<ref>{{Citation | author1=Gregory, Donald | title=History of the Western Highlands and Isles of Scotland, from A.D. 1493 to A.D. 1625, with a brief introductory sketch, from A.D. 80 to A.D. 1493 | year=1836 | publisher=Edinburgh, W. Tait | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaoHAAAAQAAJ | access-date=11 May 2012 }}, p. 65</ref> In 1469, James' grandson (James III) granted Lairdship of the lands to mainland Garmoran John of Ross, leader of the MacDonalds. In turn, John passed it to his own half-brother, Hugh of Sleat; the grant to Hugh was confirmed by the king in a 1493 charter, but Clan Ranald continued to dispute the transfer.

[[File:Central Eigg - geograph.org.uk - 838740.jpg|thumb|Central and northern Eigg]]
Following Hugh of Sleat's death in 1498, his son, John of Sleat, resigned his position, giving his lands to the king.{{refn|group="note"|his reasons are totally unknown}} John of Ross, though still living, had forfeited his own realm, which at the start of the 16th century led Black Donald to launch a rebellion, seeking to restore them. Unlike other descendants of John of Islay, Ranald Bane, leader of Clan Ranald, had refused to support the rebellion, so in 1505, once the rebellion was defeated, the king rewarded him with lairdship of Eigg (and Arisaig). In 1520, the excessive cruelty{{refn|group="note"|not described in detail by surviving records}} of Ranald Bane's son, Dougall, lead to his assassination, and leadership of Clan Ranald instead passed to Ranald Bane's brother, Alexander, and then Alexander's son, John Moidartach; in 1532, the king provided a charter confirming John's position as laird of Eigg (and Arisaig).{{refn|group="note"|and newly granting him Moidart – hence the name ''Moidartach''}}

Writing in 1549, Donald Munro, High Dean of the Isles wrote of "Egge" that it was: "gude mayne land with ane paroch kirk in it, with mony solenne geis; very gude for store, namelie for scheip, with ane heavin for heiland Galayis".{{refn|English translation from [[Social:Scots language|Lowland Scots]]: "a good land with a parish church and many gannets; very good for sheep, with a good harbour for [[Place:Scottish Highlands|Highland]] [[Engineering:Galley|galley]]s".<ref>Munro, D. (1818) ''Description of the Western Isles of Scotland called Hybrides, by Mr. Donald Munro, High Dean of the Isles, who travelled through most of them in the year 1549''. Miscellanea Scotica, 2. Quoted in Banks (1977) p. 190</ref>|group="note"}}

====Massacre and pillage====

[[File:Entrance to the Massacre Cave, Eigg.jpg|thumb|left|The entry to the Cave of Frances ({{gbmapping|NM474834}})]]
In 1577, according to Clan Ranald tradition, a group of MacLeods were being hosted on Eigg when they became over-amorous towards local women. As a result, the local men rounded the MacLeods up and cast them adrift in the Minch, until they were rescued by MacLeods from elsewhere. Wanting revenge, a group of MacLeods landed on Eigg, but had been spotted by the islanders, who decided to hide in an obscure cave called the Cave of Frances{{refn|group="note"|some sources translate the Gaelic ''Uamh Fhraing'' as ''Cave of Franc'''i'''s''<ref>Some sources translate the Gaelic ''Uamh Fhraing'' as the ''Cave of Francis''. (Macpherson, Norman. [http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_012/12_577_603.pdf Notes on antiquities from the island of Eigg], Edinburgh University.) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611111424/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_012/12_577_603.pdf |date=11 June 2007 }}</ref>}} ({{lang-gd|Uamh Fhraing}}) located on the south coast; the entrance to the cave is tiny,{{refn|group="note"|It is no more than {{convert|0.65|m|ftin|frac=2|abbr=on}} height, requiring one to crawl for {{convert|7|m|ft}} before the cave opens out}} and was obscured by moss, undergrowth, and a small waterfall.

[[File:Uamh Fhraing - geograph.org.uk - 904456.jpg|thumb|The entrance from a short distance away]]
The traditions go on to say that the MacLeods conducted a thorough but fruitless search for the inhabitants, but after 3–5 days, just as the MacLeods were leaving, they saw someone leave the cave, and were able to follow their footprints to the entrance. The MacLeods re-directed the water, piled thatch and roof timbers at the cave entrance, and set fire to it; water dampened the flames, so that the cave was filled with smoke, asphyxiating everyone inside.{{refn|group="note"|either by smoke inhalation, or oxygen deprivation}} 395 people had been inside;{{refn|group="note"|despite external appearances, the interior of the cave is large; the length is approximately {{convert|79|m|ft}}, the width {{convert|8|m|ft}} and height {{convert|6|m|ft}}}} only one inhabitant of Eigg survived, an old woman, who had not sought refuge in the cave.

Serious doubts remain about the veracity of the tale; in later times a minister of Eigg stated "''the less I enquired into its history&nbsp;... the more I was likely to feel I knew something about it''".<ref name=Banks56>Banks (1977) pp.&nbsp;56–67</ref><ref>Kieran, Ben. ''Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur'', Yale University Press, 2007 {{ISBN|0-300-10098-1}}, {{ISBN|978-0-300-10098-3}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=XR91bs70jukC&pg=PA14 p.&nbsp;14]</ref> Nonetheless, human remains in the cave have been reported over the centuries;{{refn|group="note"|for example, by Boswell in 1773, by Sir Walter Scott in 1814, and Hugh Miller in 1845}}<ref name="Banks56" /><ref name="LynnTimes">Lynn Forest-Hill, "Underground Man", ''Times Literary Supplement'' 14 January 2011 p. 15</ref> though most of the remains have since been removed and buried elsewhere,{{refn|group="note"|by 1854}}<ref name="Banks56" /><ref name="LynnTimes" /> natural disturbances in the soil occasionally uncover further remains.{{refn|group="note"|as happened in 2017, when tourists discovered bones that turned out to be from a single 16 year old.<ref name="urbanus">{{cite journal|last1=Urbanus|first1=Jason|title=A dangerous island|journal=Archaeology|date=Jul–Aug 2017|volume=70|issue=4|pages=14|url=http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=b4b4329d-362a-4c43-ace5-2fec3747c893%40sessionmgr102|access-date=2 July 2017|issn=0003-8113|postscript={{subscription needed|via=[https://www.ebsco.com EBSCO]'s Master File Complete}}}}{{Dead link|date=May 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>}}

Clan Ranald had aided the MacDonalds in a longstanding feud against the MacLeans of Duart concerning the Rhinns of Islay. In 1588, some of the remains of the Spanish Armada found refuge with the MacLeans; Lachlan, the MacLean leader, demanded that they supply soldiers in return, which he used to launch an attack against the MacDonalds. After initial failures, Lachlan chose to attack the Small Isles, as a softer, weakly defended target, instead;<ref>Maureen Meikle, ''The Scottish People 1490–1625'', Lulu.com, 2013, p. 146</ref> Eigg was burnt and pillaged. Lachlan was imprisoned in Edinburgh by the king for this,{{refn|group="note"|the offence was the use of Spaniards, not the violence and arson}} but he escaped, and faced no further punishment.{{refn|group="note"|due to the king's status as Elizabeth I of England's heir, and Elizabeth's desire for the MacLeans to assist her against Irish rebels, wider considerations may have been at play here<ref>John Lorne Campbell, ''Canna: The Story of a Hebridean Island'', 2014, Birlinn Ltd</ref>}}

====Church and reformation====

[[File:Ruined chapel of Kildonnan. - geograph.org.uk - 125587.jpg|thumb|left|Kildonnan chapel]]
Long obliged to perform [[Religion:Penance|penance]] for his part in Dougall's assassination, John Moidartach made a vow to build a number of churches, including Kildonnan Chapel. By the time it was built, the Scottish reformation had occurred, and the Kildonnan Chapel is typical of the post-Reformation style. It was built directly on top of the site of one of the earlier monastic buildings. The fate of the original monastic chapel – which lay south of this – is unclear, but the reformation may have caused it to be abandoned and dismantled; indeed, the Kildonnan Chapel itself doesn't appear to have been finished. The statutes of Iona, in 1610, had introduced a programme of government oversight of the religious behaviour of highlands leaders; the Clan Ranald leader's consent to this had resulted in the king granting him a charter confirming his lairdship of Eigg (and his other possessions).

In 1623, however, the Irish Roman Catholic church sent Cornelius Ward,{{refn|group="note"|In gaelic, his name is ''Conchobhair mac-an-Bháird''}} a Franciscan [[Religion:Friar|friar]], to North Western Scotland, in order to proselytise the population. On arriving at Castle Tioram, the seat of Clan Ranald leadership, the leader, John MacDonald, granted him protection throughout Clan Ranald lands. In 1625, Cornelius arrived on Eigg, and reported that Kildonnan Chapel was a roofless ruin; he makes no reference to events of ''massacre cave'', and reports the island as having 200 inhabitants, all of whom he claims to have converted to Roman Catholicism. Apparently there had been a Protestant minister on the island, but John MacDonald persuaded him to turn a blind eye, by offering him the island's tithes.

[[File:Kildonnan Graveyard - geograph.org.uk - 396881.jpg|thumb|The carved human depiction]]
Cornelius refused to consecrate the Chapel in its roofless state, and it came to only be used for burials. One grave had a carved cover with a roughly worked depiction of an occupant, sleeping; the portion below the waist and wrists is now missing, leading to the 17th/18th century grave slab<ref>[https://canmore.org.uk/discovery/eigg/ruined-church-at-kildonnan Ruined Church at Kildonnan], Canmore (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland)</ref> being popularly re-interpreted as a medieval [[Social:Sheela na gig|sheela na gig]].{{refn|group="note"|unlike sheela na gigs, there is no haggishness to the face, and the arms are resting centralling, rather than pulling apart}} The chapel also contains a Clan Ranald burial recess, dated to 1641;{{refn|group="note"|by inscription}} traditionally this is the burial place of Ranald MacDonald of Morar, a famed piper who farmed Sandavore near the end of his life,{{refn|group="note"|to whom a traditional lament is dedicated – [https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/nnjgz2]}} but he was not even born until 1662.

====Jacobites====

[[File:The Sgurr, Eigg - geograph.org.uk - 200126.jpg|thumb|left|The entrance to Cathedral Cave, with An Sgùrr]]
As committed Roman Catholics, Clan Ranald took part in the first Jacobite rebellion, in 1689. According to Clan Ranald tradition, in May of the following year Edward Pottinger, a Royal Navy captain from Ulster, decided to take revenge for this, by inducing his men to carry out large scale rape and murder on Eigg;<ref name="MacInnes99">Allan I. MacInnes, ''Clan Massacres and British State Formation'', in ''The Massacre in History'', edited by Mark Levene / Penny Roberts, Berghahn Books, 1999</ref> the ship's log for Pottinger's ship, however, does not mention these events.{{refn|group="note"|Clan Ranald traditions claim he tampered with the log to cover them up<ref name="MacInnes99" />}} To evade the restrictions the Whig-controlled government subsequently imposed upon the Catholic Church in Scotland, the remaining Catholics of Eigg began to secretly attend Mass inside a large high-roofed cave, which became known as the "cave of worship" ({{lang-gd|Uamh a' Chrabhaidh}}) (now called ''Cathedral Cave'').

Eigg tenants also joined the Jacobite risings of 1715 and of 1745; the Tacksman of the Eigg branch of Clan Ranald – ''MacDonald of Laig'' – also commanded the warriors from Canna (another Clan Ranald property). Whether or not the events of 1690 were simply blood libel{{clarify|date=October 2017}} rather than gunboat diplomacy, there was certainly retribution after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. All 38 surviving islanders who had taken part in the uprising were arrested by the Royal Navy and imprisoned in the Tower of London; though many died from natural causes, the remaining 16 were eventually sent to Barbados, to work on sugar cane plantations.

The post-Culloden history of Eigg is also important to the golden age of Scottish Gaelic literature. After the death of his father, Raonuill Dubh MacDhòmhnuill (c.1715 - c.1805), the eldest son of legendary Gaelic poet Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, moved from Arisaig to become Clanranald tacksman of Laig. While serving as Tacksman, Raonuill Dubh collected and published the poetry anthology ''Comh-chruinneachidh Orannaigh Gaidhealach'', which is also called "The Eigg Collection, at [[Place:Edinburgh|Edinburgh]] in 1776. Raonuill Dubh is believed to have drawn heavily upon [[Social:Oral poetry|oral poetry]] collected and written down by his father and also upon the similar collection made by Hector Maclean of Grulin.<ref>Derek S. Thomson (1983), ''The Companion to Gaelic Scotland'', page 169.</ref>

The tack of Laig remained in the family until Raonuill Dubh's grandson, Angus R. MacDonald, emigrated with his mother to the {{wipe|United States}} and served as a Lieutenant in the 11th Wisconsin Regiment during the American Civil War.<ref>Father Charles MacDonald (2011), ''Moidart: Among the Clanranalds'', Birlinn Books. Pages 133-137.</ref>

====Crops====

[[File:Kildonan Mill - geograph.org.uk - 36569.jpg|thumb|The Mill]]
The 18th century introduction of the [[Biology:Potato|potato]] to Eigg, as a food crop, lead to increased health and [[Philosophy:Fecundity|fecund]]ity on the island; by the end of the century, the population had expanded to over 500 people, farming oats and [[Biology:Cattle|cattle]], in addition to potatoes. The Chief of Clan Ranald built a mill to grind the oats, and charged the islanders to use it. Since they had their own hand-querns, he instructed the Tacksman and his agents to break them, so that the islanders had no choice but to use the mill.

The outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars created a potential new route to wealth, by limiting foreign supplies of valuable minerals: [[Biology:Kelp|kelp]] could be harvested to produce minerals like soda ash. Kelp rapidly increased in price, so in 1817, the estate factors reduced the size of each tenancy (for example, Cleadale was re-arranged into 28 plots), to stop their tenants from becoming self-sufficient and forcing them to also harvest kelp in order to break even. However, soon after the creation of these smaller tenancies (crofts), foreign mineral supplies were re-introduced, as the Napoleonic Wars had ended. The kelp price crashed, and crofters struggled to avoid destitution.

In 1821, several families voluntarily emigrated to Nova Scotia to escape both rising rents and crushing poverty;{{refn|group="note"|aboard the ''Commerce''}} they settled on a high plateau near the coast of the Northumberland Strait, which they named Eigg Mountain. The laird, his sources of income having also having collapsed, at first planned to recover his wealth by evicting the whole village of Cleadale, and using the land for [[Biology:Sheep|sheep]] farming; however, in 1827 he found someone willing to purchase Eigg, and cancelled the planned eviction. After 800 years in the same family, Clan Ranald rule of Eigg was at an end.

=== Later lairds ===

[[File:CruiseOfTheBetsy-Miller-TitlePage.jpg|thumb|left|''The Cruise of the Betsey'' (1858)]]
The purchaser and new owner of Eigg was one Dr. Hugh MacPherson,{{refn|group="note"|the price was £15,000}} and for a while island society carried on normally. The Scottish [[Geologist|geologist]] and writer Hugh Miller visited the island in the 1840s and wrote a long and detailed account of his explorations in his book ''The Cruise of the Betsey'' (published in 1858). Miller was a self-taught [[Geologist|geologist]]; so the book contains detailed observations of the [[Earth:Geology|geology]] of the island, including the Sgùrr and the [[Physics:Singing sand|singing sand]]s. He described the islanders of Eigg as "''an active, middle-sized race, with [[Philosophy:Phrenology|well-developed heads]], acute intellects, and singularly warm feelings''". He described seeing the bones of adults and children in family groups with the charred remains of their straw mattresses and small household objects still in Massacre Cave; after reading this description, Sir Walter Scott was so appalled that he started a fund for Christian burial, which resulted in the bodies' removal.

[[File:Grulin Iochdrach - geograph.org.uk - 451682.jpg|thumb|The remains of Lower Grulin]]
In 1847, ongoing rackrenting and the resulting financial woes of the islanders were compounded by the Highland Potato Famine. Furthermore, Dr. MacPherson decided to evict his tenants en masse and replace them with herds of sheep, as the price of wool had recently undergone substantial increases.

[[File:Isle of Eigg, Sandavore Kirk - geograph.org.uk - 916358.jpg|thumb|left|Sandavore kirk]]
In 1853, the whole village of Gruilin – fourteen families – were evicted and forced by Dr. MacPherson to leave Eigg. The whole village of Brae was similarly cleared in 1858. In 1862, Dr. MacPherson built Sandavore church to serve Eigg's remaining Church of Scotland residents.{{refn|group="note"|in 1910}}

The isle of Eigg has a much wider importance for it's influence on the rest of the Catholic Church in Scotland. From Donald MacLeod, a Catholic ''seanchaidh'' from Eigg resident in Oban, the poet Fr. Allan MacDonald collected multiple Catholic [[Religion:Hymn|hymn]]s and works of [[Social:Oral poetry|oral poetry]] in [[Social:Scottish Gaelic|Scottish Gaelic]]. Fr. MacDonald supplemented these with several of his own compositions and translations and anonymously published a Gaelic hymnal in 1893.<ref> Ronald Black (2002), ''Eilein na h-Òige: The Poems of Fr. Alllan MacDonald'', Mungo Books. Page 64.</ref>

At the end of the century, in 1893, Dr. MacPherson sold Eigg to Lawrence Thompson, who built a church for the Roman Catholics of the island (St. Donnan's church in Cleadale).{{refn|group="note"|in 1910}}

After being sold by Thompson in 1917, the island passed through various hands, including a cabinet minister,{{refn|group="note"|Walter Runciman, 1st Viscount Runciman of Doxford, between 1925 and 1966 (sold by his sons, after Runciman's death in 1949)}} until being purchased by Keith Schellenberg.{{refn|group="note"|for a quarter of a million pounds}} Unlike his predecessors, who had sought to use the resources of the island for their own power, profit, or leisure, Schellenberg had conservationist motives; he wished to restore its listed buildings, and preserve the natural environment.<ref name="Arlidge94">''[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/barmy-inhabitants-force-laird-from-scottish-isle-eigg-owner-says-violent-campaign-has-made-him-sell-1403010.html Eigg owner says violent campaign has made him sell]'', John Arlidge, 28 January 1994, The Independent</ref>

===Community buy-out===

In the early 1990s, a fire at Schellenberg's home on the island destroyed a 1920s [[Company:Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]]; Police suspected the fire was due to arson.<ref name="Arlidge94" /> Some locals claimed that since the late 1980s, he had neglected homes, closed the community hall, and restricted leases.<ref name="Arlidge94" /> While admitting that he had closed the community hall (but only in the evenings), and had refused to continue one particular lease, he told the press that "drunken hippies and drop-outs" were unfairly branding him a despot.<ref name="Arlidge94" /> In 1994, now in his 60s, Schellenberg concluded that trying to conserve the island was not worth facing violent intimidation for,<ref name="Arlidge94" /> and in the following year sold it to Gotthilf Christian Eckhard Österle from Germany who styled himself "Professor Marlin Eckhard-Maruma" or simply "Maruma" and who claimed to an artist;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.robedwards.com/1996/02/maruma-the-myst.html | title=Maruma, the mysterious laird of Eigg }}</ref> Schellenberg retained ownership of the 18th century Manse<!--which is not The Lodge-->.

[[File:Eigg harbour and commemorative stone - geograph.org.uk - 511648.jpg|thumb|Modernist sculpture commemorating the trust's purchase of the island]]
Nevertheless, by then a community trust had been formed by the Highland Council, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and a number of residents – particularly those newly moved to the island – with a view to buying Eigg from the laird. In 1997, this Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust persuaded Eckhard to sell, and bought it from him.<ref>{{cite book |author=Alastair McIntosh |title=Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power |year=2001 |publisher=Aurum Press Ltd |isbn=978-1854108029}}{{page needed|date=January 2015}}</ref> The ceremony to mark the handover took place a few weeks after the 1997 General Election and was attended by the Scottish Office Minister, Brian Wilson, a long-standing advocate of land reform; he used the occasion to announce the formation of a Community Land Unit within [[Organization:Highlands and Islands Enterprise|Highlands and Islands Enterprise]] to support further land buy-outs in the region.

[[File:Sgorr an Fharaidh - geograph.org.uk - 185462.jpg|thumb|Cleadale from the northern end of the island]]
Between then and the 2011 census, the ordinarily resident population expanded from 65 to 83; this increase of 24 percent (six times greater than for the Scottish islands as a whole{{refn|group="note"|which grew by only 4%, to a population of 103,702}})<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23711202 "Scotland's 2011 census: Island living on the rise"]. BBC News. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref> was principally formed by young people who moved to Eigg to set up in business, as well as a handful of former residents returning to the island. However, by 2003, the residents' representatives on the trust's board were entirely people who had moved to the island since the trust took over.<ref name="Scott3">''[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/aug/04/kirstyscott Scrambled Dreams on Eigg]'', Kirsty Scott, 4 August 2003, {{wipe|The Guardian}}</ref>

A few longstanding residents complained that the trust focused on the new residents, while ignoring the concerns of the families who had lived on the island for generations; for example, they complained that new mains power connections, and housing provision, was given to the families of trust members, not indigenous islanders.<ref name="Scott3" /> One islander from an old Eigg family declared that the trust "''is not a democracy ... it is the mafia''".<ref name="Scott3" /> More recently, more positive articles have been published, showing a different picture of the island.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/26/this-island-is-not-for-sale-how-eigg-fought-back| title=This island is not for sale: how Eigg fought back| author=Patrick Barkham| date=26 September 2017| work={{wipe|The Guardian}}| access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref>

Eigg was featured on the American television program ''60 Minutes'' in November 2017<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-isle-of-eigg/|title=The Isle of Eigg|date=26 November 2017|last=Kroft|first=Steve|work=CBS News}}</ref> and an extended feature on its companion web site ''60 Minutes Overtime'' in July 2018.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-overtime-adventure-to-the-isle-of-eigg/|title=60 Minutes' adventure to the Isle of Eigg|date=24 June 2018|last=Kroft|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Kroft|work=CBS News}}</ref>

In its 2019 coverage of the island, National Geographic provided this summary of the ownership and current situation:<ref name="nationalgeographic.com"/> <blockquote>"after years of neglect by the previous laird, or estate owner, the people gained ownership themselves in 1997. Now, visitors to the nicknamed “People’s Republic of Eigg” contend with nothing more dangerous than negotiating walking territory with sheep or engaging in cheeky yet informative banter with Charlie Galli, the sole taxi driver and self-proclaimed 'Eigg Gazette'" ... there is a single main road ... and a single stoplight ... to alert everyone when electricity is running low ... humble attractions like the tiny post-office-turned-museum detailing island history; a wee, closet-size shed boasting handcrafted curiosities for sale by the honor system; herds of distrustful sheep; and pit stops such as “Rest and Be Thankful,” a patio tea garden open only when the sun shines.</blockquote>

==Economy and transport==
[[File:Alternative Coastal Route.jpg|thumb|The view from MV ''Sheerwater'' en route from Arisaig]]
Tourism is important to the local economy, especially in the summer months, and the first major project of the Heritage Trust was An Laimhrig, a new building near the jetty to house the island's shop and post office, Galmisadale Bay restaurant and bar, a craft shop, and toilet and shower facilities, which are open 24 hours a day.<ref>[http://www.isleofeigg.net/welcome/welcome_frame2.htm "Eigg Shop and Post Office"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605171634/http://www.isleofeigg.net/welcome/welcome_frame2.htm |date=2009-06-05 }} Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. Retrieved 1 August 2009.</ref>  A'Nead Hand Knitwear is a new island business making garments such as cobweb shawls and scarves.<ref>[http://www.anead-knitwear.co.uk/ "A'Nead Hand Knitwear"] anead-knitwear.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2009.</ref>

Conde Nast Traveller particularly recommends that visitors explore the Singing Sands beach, "dark Cathedral and Massacre caves, the abandoned village of Grulin or the island’s most distinctive sight, the near vertically-sided volcanic plug of An Sgùrr".<ref name="cntraveller.com"/>

There are two ferry routes to the island.  There is a sheltered anchorage for boats at Galmisdale in the south of the island. In 2004 the old jetty there was extended to allow a roll-on roll-off [[Engineering:Ferry|ferry]] to [[Engineering:Ferry slip|dock]]. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry {{MV|Lochnevis}} sails a circular route around the four "''Small Isles''"—Eigg, Canna, [[Earth:Rùm|Rùm]] and Muck from the fishing port of Mallaig. Arisaig Marine also runs a passenger ferry called the MV ''Sheerwater'' from April until late September from Arisaig on the mainland.<ref>[http://www.arisaig.co.uk/ "Welcome to Arisaig Marine Ltd"] arisaig.co.uk Retrieved 1 August 2009.</ref>

A beer brewery called ''Laig Bay Brewing'' was recently set up on the island.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thejournal.ie/isle-of-eigg-history-2-3353891-Apr2017/| title=A newborn baby pushes a tiny, fascinating Scottish island's population to 105 (we think)| publisher=TheJournal.ie| date=23 April 2017| access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.laigbaybrewing.com/| title=Laig Bay Brewing| access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref>

In November 2017, a crew from the American television news magazine 60 Minutes visited Eigg. Its report stated that there was "one grocery shop, one primary school for five students and one pub at the tea room down by the wharf. The island's tiny electrical grid powers it all ... a combination of wind, hydroelectric and solar".<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-overtime-adventure-to-the-isle-of-eigg-2019-09-08/  60 Minutes adventure to the Isle of Eigg]</ref>

National Geographic's April 2019 coverage suggested that visitors should arrive via Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry from Mallaig and Arisaig and explore by foot or bicycle or hitchhiking. Various types of rental accommodations were available. Sources for food included the Isle of Eigg Shop and Eigg Organics or communal dining places: Galmisdale Café and Bar and Lageorna.<ref name="nationalgeographic.com"/> Because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, facilities for tourists were closed, and visitors were being asked not to come to the island, during much of 2020 and into 2021.<ref>[http://isleofeigg.org/coronavirus-covid-19/  Eigg’s community response to COVID-19]</ref>

===Electrification project===
The Heritage Trust provisioned a [[Finance:Electric power transmission|mains electricity grid]], powered from near [[100% renewable energy|100% renewable energy]] sources.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.communitypower.scot/case-studies/projects/eigg-electric/| title=Eigg Electric| publisher=Friends of the Earth Scotland| access-date=14 February 2019}}</ref> Previously, the island was not served by mains electricity and individual crofthouses had wind, hydro or diesel generators and the aim of the project is to develop an electricity supply that is environmentally and economically sustainable.
[[File:Eigg wind turbines.jpg|thumb|left|Two of Eigg's wind turbines]]
The new system incorporates a 9.9 kWp PV system, three hydro generation systems (totalling 112&nbsp;kW) and a 24&nbsp;kW wind farm supported by stand-by [[Engineering:Diesel generator|diesel generation]], [[Physics:Supercapacitor|ultra-capacitors]],<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.ochaye6dot5.co.uk/Technology/details/452/Eigg-Toasts-New-Ultracapacitor-System-and-Unscrambles-the-Power-Grid|title=Eigg Toasts New Ultracapacitor System and Unscrambles the Power Grid| author=Annie Smith| date=13 November 2018| publisher=Ochaye6dot5| language=en| access-date=7 February 2019}}</ref> flywheels and batteries to guarantee continuous availability of power. A load management system has been installed to provide optimal use of the renewables. This combination of solar, wind and hydro power should provide a network that is self-sufficient and powered 98 percent from renewable sources. On 1 February 2008 the system was switched on.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ross |first=John |date=31 January 2008 |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/island-finally-turns-on-to-green-mains-eigg-tricity-1-1076473 |title=Island finally turns on to green mains Eigg-tricity |newspaper=The Scotsman |access-date=2 January 2015}}</ref>

Eigg Electric generates a finite amount of energy and so Eigg residents agreed from the outset to cap electricity use at 5&nbsp;kW at any one time for households, and 10&nbsp;kW for businesses. If renewable resources are low, for example when there is less rain or wind, a "traffic light" system asks residents to keep their usage to a minimum. The traffic light reduces demand by up to 20 percent and ensures that there's always enough energy for everyone.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

The Heritage Trust has formed a company, Eigg Electric Ltd, to operate the new £1.6 million network, which has been part funded by the National Lottery and the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company.<ref>[http://www.windandsun.co.uk/projects_eigg.htm "Isle of Eigg, Inner Hebrides, Scotland - 2007"] Wind and Sun Ltd. Retrieved 20 September 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201073351/http://www.windandsun.co.uk/projects_eigg.htm |date=1 December 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=16 November 2005 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4440896.stm |title=Island energised by lottery cash |work=BBC News |access-date=20 September 2007}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

===Other sustainability projects===
[[File:Deep in thought.......... - geograph.org.uk - 842921.jpg|thumb|left|Cow on the beach]]
In September 2008, Eigg began a year-long series of projects as part of their success as one of ten finalists in NESTA's Big Green Challenge. While the challenge finished in September 2009, the work to make the island "green" is continuing with [[Engineering:Solar water heating|solar water panels]], alternative fuels, mass domestic insulation, transport and local food all being tackled.<ref>[http://www.islandsgoinggreen.org "Green Eigg islanders earn place in UK's Big Challenge says Press and Journal"] islandsgoinggreen.org. Retrieved 23 September 2009.</ref> In May 2009, the island hosted the "Giant's Footstep Family Festival", which included talks, workshops, music, theatre and advice about what individuals and communities can do to tackle climate change.<ref>[http://www.senscot.net/view_event.php?viewid=8032 "Take Giant Green Footsteps to Eigg's Family Festival"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724061132/http://www.senscot.net/view_event.php?viewid=8032 |date=24 July 2011 }}. Senscot. Retrieved 23 September 2009.</ref>

In January 2010, Eigg was announced as one of three joint winners in NESTA's Big Green Challenge, winning a prize of £300,000. Eigg also won the prestigious [https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/01/eigg-island-renewable-energy|Ashden UK Gold Award] in July 2010.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

==Lighthouse==
{{Infobox lighthouse | qid = Q29076274}}
Eigg lighthouse is an active [[Lighthouse|lighthouse]] located on the south-eastern corner of the islet of Eilean Chathastail, one of the smaller [[Earth:Small Isles|Small Isles]] about {{convert|110|m|ft}} off Eigg.<ref>{{Cite rowlett|sctnw|accessdate=2016-05-22}}</ref> The lighthouse was built in 1906 to a design by David A. and Charles Alexander Stevenson; it is a cylindrical metal tower only {{convert|8|m|ft}} high with gallery and lantern painted white. It is a minor light among those owned by Northern Lighthouse Board but day-to-day management rests with the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. The light emits a [[Earth:Light characteristic#Flashing light|white flash every 6 seconds]].

==Wildlife==
[[File:View Of The Mainland From Eigg.jpg|thumb|View of the mainland from Eigg]]
An average of 130 species of birds are recorded annually. The island has breeding populations of various raptors: golden eagle, [[Biology:Common buzzard|buzzard]], peregrine falcon, kestrel, hen harrier and [[Biology:Short-eared owl|short]] and [[Biology:Long-eared owl|long-eared owl]]. Great northern diver and [[Biology:Jack snipe|jack snipe]] are winter visitors, and in summer [[Biology:Common cuckoo|cuckoo]], [[Biology:Whinchat|whinchat]], [[Biology:Common whitethroat|common whitethroat]] and [[Biology:Twite|twite]] breed on the island.<ref>"Eigg-ceptional summer". ''Scottish Wildlife'' (November 2007) No. 63 page 4.</ref><ref>[http://www.isleofeigg.org/welcome/welcome_frame.htm "Bird watching on Eigg"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223201300/http://www.isleofeigg.org/welcome/welcome_frame.htm |date=2009-02-23 }} Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust. Retrieved 27 December 2007.</ref>

==See also==
* Religion of the Yellow Stick
* List of lighthouses in Scotland
* List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthouses
* List of community buyouts in Scotland

==References==
;Notes
{{Reflist|group="Note"}}
{{Reflist|group="note"}}

;Citations
{{Reflist|2}}

;General references
* Banks, Noel, (1977) ''Six Inner Hebrides''. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. {{ISBN|0-7153-7368-4}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/26/this-island-is-not-for-sale-how-eigg-fought-back |title=This island is not for sale: how Eigg fought back |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}} |first=Patrick |last=Barkham |date=26 September 2017 |access-date=26 September 2017}}

==External links==
{{Coord|56|54|N|6|10|W|region:GB_type:isle|display=title}}
{{Wikivoyage|Eigg}}
* [http://www.isleofeigg.org/ The island's website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081006104956/http://www.isleofeigg.org/nature/geology.htm Geology of Eigg]
* BBC Radio 4 – [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry_20020907.shtml Open Country]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080309065930/http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/A7066091 BBC Action Network - My story: Bringing power to the people]
* [http://www.ashden.org/winners/Eigg10 Ashden Awards Case Study, video and photographs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331192811/http://www.ashden.org/winners/Eigg10 |date=31 March 2016 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090310105831/http://www.petemarshall.com/incomers/ Book about the role of incomers on the island and photogallery]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081231233215/http://www.gerald-massey.org.uk/miller/b_betsey.htm The Cruise of the Betsey]- Account of Miller's voyage.


[[Category:Extinct volcanoes]]

{{Sourceattribution|Eigg}}