Eigg and Knoydart – Two communities woven together on Scotland’s West Coast

Eigg Community

“Do the community own the café too daddy?” asks my 11-year-old daughter, Emma, as we peer over the shimmering Atlantic from the Galmisdale Bay Café & Bar, now proudly in its new home at the community hub of An Laimhrig on the Isle of Eigg. It’s a fair question. Much of what we see on our island adventure is community-owned. As it is just across the water on Knoydart, the second part of our adventure deep into the heart of the world warmed by the new SCOTO initiative.

Building on Community Links

SCOTO aims to build on the links that community-owned places, enterprises and businesses across Scotland are building in tourism. Lucy Conway, one of SCOTO’s directors, and an Eigg resident, tells me – as Emma watches dolphins flipping around in the background – that it also aims to make visitors far more than tourists: “We prefer to see people as ‘temporary residents who can engage with communities; seeing how they work. When they spend money here they are making a conscious choice and can see it is going directly back into the community and projects that benefit people. It’s also about respect too all round.”

Community Generated Green Energy

We buy straight into the community – literally – checking into the cosy community-owned camping pods overlooking An Laimhrig. Here I introduce my daughters – 14-year-old Tara is with me too – to the idea that the people who live here own much of the island. Tara is hoping for a decent shower and is impressed by the swish new community shower block; even more so when I tell her they are powered by green energy and that Eigg was the first island in 2008 in the world to generate all its own power from its own green sources, with hydro, wind and solar in the mix.

Following the green spirit we rent two of the new e-bikes from Eigg Adventures. Engaging owner Owain Wyn-Jones guides us around the map of Eigg, flagging up the ‘Singing Sands’, the wide beach at Laig Bay and the museum in the centre of the island. We set off, appreciating the wee engine that powers us up the hill. We disappear for a glorious half day cocooned in a world of standing stones, rugged hills, sweeping beaches and bountiful wildlife, including a sea eagle!

Food and Drink from the Local Communities

Back at the camping pods the rest of the family has been shopping, so I’m tasked with cooking dinner over the campfire. That is a joy as it’s a huge coil of tasty Knoydart venison sausage from the community-owned peninsula we can see in the distance. And Eigg beer of course, from the recently opened brewery, Scotland’s first co-operative brewery. Their ales are spot on, best washed down with a smouldering Hebridean sunset by the fire.

Island Exploration

My next day is split between checking out the old Clearances villages on my own – they lie a wild yomp between ocean and hill. I explain later to the girls what happened to the people there, with whole communities forcibly cleared off the land. Emma says, “I’m glad they own the island now, so that cannot happen again.” So am I, I assure her.

In the afternoon we hook up with the legendary Charlie, the island’s cheery taxi driver, tour guide and all-round character. He trundles us out of Galmisdale on his minibus on an island tour. We stop at a crofting museum to learn more about that culture (there is so much to learn for kids and big kids alike on Eigg) and for homemade cakes with Charlie’s wife Libby Galli, who is a felt artist. The lovely cakes, drinks, views of Rum and petting their dog Bob are all included in our tour. Very Eigg.

The girls are reluctant to leave Bob, Eigg and its welcoming community behind. SCOTO talks of temporary locals and we’ve felt like that. We sail to Arisaig with Arisaig Marina and then continue to Knoydart with Western Isles Cruises, two more companies woven into the communities on Eigg and Knoydart. Knoydart welcomes us with its glowering mountains and big skies: Scotland on scenic steroids.

Knoydart Community

Our base could not be more wrapped in the local community, who bought out the Knoydart Estate in 1999. The Wee Hooses are lovely wee wooden hideaways for four with woodburning stones, decks and kitchens built on land recently acquired by the community, with proceeds from guests funnelled back into the Knoydart Foundation. Our first dinner sets the tone – we feast on a delicious loin of Knoydart venison (bought at their community-run shop) and chanterelles I’ve foraged in the woods behind, then finish off with Knoydart rhubarb and a beer from the Knoydart Brewery, who market themselves as ‘Wilderness in a Bottle’.

An Empowered Community

Knoydart offers wilderness in spades, but tinged with sadness too as the peninsula was subject to some of the most notorious clearances in Scotland with a century of hardship and even horror. Around 2,000 people were torn from the land so it’s great to see the population back up around 120 with the school roll doubled this year to eight.

Knoydart Ranger Finlay Greig tells me. “It’s all come about through the community buyout. It’s given people the power to change and improve their own lives. You could say that has lessons all across the Highlands and Islands and beyond”, he says, as we take in the view from atop Sgurr Coire Choinnichean, a soaring 2,612ft-high peak, but still just a baby by Knoydart standards as the peninsula boasts a trio of Munros.

The Knoydart Foundation

Back down at sea level I meet Davie Newton, a director of the Knoydart Foundation, and Stephanie Harris, who is working on business development for The Old Forge, the famous pub that is the most remote on the British mainland. It has just been come under community-ownership with the help of crowdfunding. “We had interest and help from all over”, says Stephanie proudly. “I guess we have friends all over the world and they are part of our community too.”

Newton is delighted to see the positivity of the pub re-opening and is heavily involved in a major refurb: “You just need to look out the window at the cleared communities – you didn’t used to be able to go half a mile without bumping into a home. Now there is a lot of nothing. But the community buyout, the new village hall and the pub are positive signs of a brighter future where the community moves forward on its own terms.”

The Knoydart Pottery & Tearoom

Our last stop on a leisurely last day just admiring the scenery is the Knoydart Pottery & Tearoom. With cakes this good there is no way my girls are leaving Knoydart without coming in to meet sisters Isla and Rhona Miller. Over a lovely lunch, served with Knoydart Coffee (of course), on their sunny terrace overlooking the water Isla is effusive about the benefits of the strong community working together: “The buyout has given us a confidence that we’ve used to make more and more of our own decision. It’s really positive to see the community projects and owned enterprises working with the private sector too to make visiting a pleasure for our temporary locals.”

Temporary Locals

There is that phrase again – temporary locals. It’s a central pillar of what SCOTO is about and also what Eigg and Knoydart are naturally about too. We bounce across the surf away from Inverie with my girls raving about both communities and asking to bring their pals back. If SCOTO is there to bring people together, help them appreciate communities like Knoydart and Eigg, to even help link those communities together, we’re in.

• The SCOTO website is https://www.scoto.co.uk. Here you’ll find an map that zooms around the regions, with entries flagging up community-owned and run businesses across Scotland. You know that when you book with any of them you’re making a conscious choice to put money back into the community. Whether you’re an enterprise or a would-be temporary SCOTO would like you to get in touch.
• This post comes in conjunction with SCOTO. All views expressed are independent and are our own. More info www.visitscotland.com