Shieldaig
Encyclopedia
Shieldaig is a village in Wester Ross
in the Northwest Highlands
of Scotland
.
The village was founded in 1800 with a view to training up seamen for war against Napoleon, but after his (initial) defeat and exile to Elba
, the community found itself a new role as a fishing village; therefore, the small island just off its coast never had its tall pines harvested to rig warships, and this has now become a nature sanctuary. The name of the village is a Viking
word meaning 'loch of the herring' which do indeed still populate the bay in some profusion.
Shieldaig is a community of around 85 people, and has its own school, a small pub, a village hall that doubles as a chapel, and a church. It is much used as a holiday destination, attracting those interested in sea fishing, and explorers of the Torridon Hills
which are a few miles around the coast. Shieldaig also holds a community fete in the first weekend of August where the whole community comes together and helps make a fun weekend.
Wester Ross
is a western area of Ross and Cromarty in Scotland, notably containing the villages on the west coast such as:* Lochcarron* Applecross* Shieldaig* Torridon* Kinlochewe * * * Aultbea* Laide* Ullapool* Achiltibuie...
in the Northwest Highlands
Northwest Highlands
The Northwest Highlands are the northern third of Scotland that is separated from the Grampian Mountains by the Great Glen . The region comprises , Assynt, Caithness and Sutherland. The Caledonian Canal, which extends from Loch Linnhe in the west, via Loch Ness to the Moray Firth in the north...
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 village was founded in 1800 with a view to training up seamen for war against Napoleon, but after his (initial) defeat and exile to Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
, the community found itself a new role as a fishing village; therefore, the small island just off its coast never had its tall pines harvested to rig warships, and this has now become a nature sanctuary. The name of the village is a Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
word meaning 'loch of the herring' which do indeed still populate the bay in some profusion.
Shieldaig is a community of around 85 people, and has its own school, a small pub, a village hall that doubles as a chapel, and a church. It is much used as a holiday destination, attracting those interested in sea fishing, and explorers of the Torridon Hills
Torridon Hills
The Torridon Hills surround Torridon village in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is usually applied to the mountains to the north of Glen Torridon...
which are a few miles around the coast. Shieldaig also holds a community fete in the first weekend of August where the whole community comes together and helps make a fun weekend.