Mallaig

Mallaig, Scottish Gaelic Malaig, is a village of 806 inhabitants on the west coast of Scotland in the Highland Council Area. The village is an important fishing and ferry port.

Mallaig was founded in 1840 by Simon Fraser, 13th Lord Lovat as a mere fishing port at the seaward end of Loch Nevis. It owes its rapidly growing importance in the 20th century primarily to its connection to the British railway network in 1901, when the West Highland Railway was extended from Fort William to Mallaig. The fish landed in Mallaig could be transported quickly and cheaply. Today the local fishermen specialise in catching prawns and lobsters. In early times, the focus was mainly on herring fishing.

In 1932 the first car ferry ran from Mallaig to Skye. Today there are ferry services operated by CalMac Ferries to the islands of Skye, Rùm, Canna, Eigg, Muck and South Uist as well as the Knoydart peninsula, which has greatly increased Mallaig's importance as a ferry port.

Mallaig is also known as the terminus of the steam train "The Jacobite", which runs daily from Fort William to Mallaig in the summer half-year. Other diesel-powered trains run all year round on this route. Mallaig is also the terminus of the scenic Road to the Isles, which runs largely parallel to the Fort William-Mallaig railway line.

Today the village is strongly influenced by tourism. In the village centre there are several pubs, restaurants and shops as tourist infrastructure. Many passengers of the Jacobite Steam Train, which stands in the village until the return trip to Fort William for about one and three quarters hours, use the time for sightseeing.