Eigg
Location
Eigg
Eigg shown within Lochaber
OS grid reference	NM476868
Names
Gaelic name	Eige
Pronunciation	[ˈekʲə] ( listen)
Norse name	Unknown
Meaning of name	Scottish Gaelic for 'notched island' (eag)
Area and summit
Area	3,049 hectares (11.8 sq mi)
Area rank	28
Highest elevation	An Sgurr 393 metres (1,289 ft)
Population
Population	67
Population rank	50 out of 100
Main settlement	Cleadale
Groupings
Island group	Small Isles
Local Authority	Highland
References	[1][2][3]
If shown, area and population ranks are for all Scottish islands and all inhabited Scottish islands respectively. Population data is from 2001 census.

An Sgurr

Eigg (Scottish Gaelic: Eige) 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 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long from north to south, and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east to west. With an area of 12 square miles (31 km²), it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.

Geography[link]

The main settlement on Eigg is Cleadale, a fertile coastal plain in the north west. It is known for its quartz beach, called the "singing sands" (Tràigh a' Bhìgeil) on account of the squeaking noise it makes if walked on when dry.

The centre of the island is a moorland plateau, rising to 1,289 feet (393 metres) at An Sgurr, a dramatic stump of pitchstone, sheer on three sides. Walkers who complete the easy scramble to the top in good weather are rewarded with spectacular views all round, of Mull, Coll, Muck, the Outer Hebrides, Rùm, Skye, and the mountains of Lochaber on the mainland.

History[link]

Bronze Age and Iron Age inhabitants have left their mark on Eigg. The monastery at Kildonan was founded by a missionary possibly from either Dal Riata or an Irish Kingdom, St. Donnan. He and his monks were massacred in 617 by the local Pictish queen. In medieval times the island was held by Clan Donald.

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".^{[Note 1]}

Massacre Cave[link]

Pronunciation
Scots Gaelic:	An Laimhrig
Pronunciation:	[əˈlˠ̪ajvɾʲɪkʲ] ( listen)
Scots Gaelic:	Clèadail
Pronunciation:	[ˈkʰliət̪al] ( listen)
Scots Gaelic:	Eige
Pronunciation:	[ˈekʲə] ( listen)
Scots Gaelic:	Uamh Fhraing
Pronunciation:	[ˈuəv ˈɾaŋʲkʲ] ( listen)

During the sixteenth century there was a lengthy feud between the MacLeod and MacDonald clans, which may have led to the massacre of the island's entire population in the late 16th century. According to Clanranald tradition, in 1577 a party of MacLeods staying on the island became too amorous and caused trouble with the local girls. They were subsequently rounded up, bound and cast adrift in The Minch but were rescued by some clansmen. A party of MacLeods subsequently landed on Eigg with revenge in mind. Their approcah had been spotted by the islanders who had hidden in a secret cave called the Cave of Frances (Scottish Gaelic: Uamh Fhraing) located on the south coast.^[6] The entrance to this cave was tiny and covered by moss, undergrowth and a small waterfall. After a thorough but fruitless search lasting for three to five days, the MacLeods set sail again but a MacDonald carelessly climbed onto a promontory to watch their departure and was spotted. The MacLeods returned and were able to follow his footprints back to the cave. They then rerouted the source of the water, piled thatch and roof timbers at the cave entrance and set fire to it at the same time damping the flames so that the cave was filled with smoke thereby asphyxiating everyone inside either by smoke inhalation or heat and oxygen deprivation. Three hundred and ninety five people died in the cave, the whole population of the island bar one old lady who had not sought refuge there. There are however some difficulties with this tale and in later times a minister of Eigg stated that "the less I enquired into its history... the more I was likely to feel I knew something about it".^[7][8] Nonetheless, human remains in the cave were reported by Boswell in 1773, by Sir Walter Scott in 1814 and Hugh Miller in 1845. By 1854 they had been removed and buried elsewhere.^[7][9]

Massacre Cave (grid reference NM434874) sits in the back of a fault-like crevice under a steep rock face. It is no more than 0.65 metres (2.1 ft) height and one needs to crawl to gain access and then keep crawling for a further 7 metres (23 ft) before it opens out. The length is approximately 79 metres (259 ft), the width 8 metres (26 ft) and height 6 metres (20 ft).

18th and 19th centuries[link]

Near to Massacre Cave there is another tidal cave with a large and visible entrance; it is high-roofed and is said to have been used for Roman Catholic services after the 1745 rebellion.

The Cruise of the Betsey (1858)

The Scottish 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; so the book contains detailed observations of the geology of the island, including the Scuir and the singing sands. He describes the islanders of Eigg as "an active, middle-sized race, with well-developed heads, acute intellects, and singularly warm feelings". He describes 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. Walter Scott was so appalled and moved on hearing that the skulls and bones of the dead were still stacked there, that he started a fund for a Christian burial which resulted in their removal.

By the 19th century, the island had a population of 500, producing potatoes, oats, cattle and kelp. When sheep farming became more profitable than any alternative, land was cleared by compulsory emigration - in 1853 the whole of the village of Gruilin, fourteen families, was forced to leave.

Heritage Trust[link]

Satellite view of Eigg. The island in the bottom right of the picture is Eilean Chathastail.

After decades of problems with absentee landlords in the 20th century, the island was bought in 1997 by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, a partnership between the residents of Eigg, the Highland Council, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The story of this community buy-out is told in Alastair McIntosh's book Soil and Soul: People Versus Corporate Power published in 2001. At the time, the population was around 60; in 2005 it was 87.

The ceremony to mark the handover to community ownership 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 Highlands and Islands Enterprise which would in future support further land buy-outs in the region.

Economy and transport[link]

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 [1] (cafe restaurant and bar) formerly known as Eigg tearoom, craft shop and the toilet and shower facilities which are open 24 hours a day.^[10] There are two ferry routes to the island. A’Nead Hand Knitwear is a new island business making garments such as cobweb shawls and scarves.^[11]

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 ferry to dock. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Lochnevis sails a circular route from Mallaig around the four "Small Isles" - Eigg, Canna, Rùm and Muck from the fishing port of Mallaig. Arisaig Marine also run a passenger ferry called the MV Sheerwater from April until late September from Arisaig on the mainland.^[12]

Electrification project[link]

The next major project of the Heritage Trust was to enable the provision of a mains electricity grid, powered from renewable sources. 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.

Two of Eigg's wind turbines

The new system incorporates a 9.9 kWp PV system, three hydro generation systems (totalling 112 kW) and a 24 kW wind farm supported by stand-by diesel generation 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% from renewable sources. The system was switched on, on 1 February 2008.^[13] Electricity began being rationed in June 2010, after mild weather caused supply to fall short of demand.^[14]

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.^[15][16]

Other sustainability projects[link]

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 solar water panels, alternative fuels, mass domestic insulation, transport and local food all being tackled.^[17] 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.^[18]

In January 2010, Eigg was announced as one of three joint winners in NESTA's Big Green Challenge, winning a prize of £300,000.

Wildlife[link]

View of the Mainland from Eigg

An average of 130 species of bird are recorded annually. The island has breeding populations of various raptors: Golden Eagle, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Hen Harrier and Short and Long-eared Owl. Great Northern Diver and Jack Snipe are winter visitors, and in summer Cuckoo, Whinchat, Whitethroat and Twite breed on the island.^[19][20]

See also[link]

• Religion of the Yellow Stick

References[link]

General references

• Banks, Noel, (1977) Six Inner Hebrides. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-7368-4

Notes

Citations

External links[link]

• The island's website
• Geology of Eigg
• BBC Radio 4 - Open Country
• BBC Radio Scotland - Maggie Fyffe
• BBC Action Network - My story: Bringing power to the people
• Book about the role of incomers on the island and photogallery
• The Cruise of the Betsey- Account of Miller's voyage.
• This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.

v t e Inhabited islands of the Hebrides Inner Hebrides Canna Coll Colonsay Danna Eigg Eilean Bàn Eilean Donan Eilean Shona Erraid Gigha Gometra Iona Islay Isle of Ewe Jura Kerrera Lismore Lunga Muck Mull Oronsay Raasay Sanday Scalpay Rona Rùm Skye Slate Islands Soay Summer Isles Tiree Ulva Outer Hebrides Baleshare Barra Benbecula Berneray Eriskay Flodaigh Fraoch-eilean Great Bernera Grimsay (North) Grimsay (South) Lewis and Harris North Uist Scalpay South Uist Vatersay

v t e Islands of Scotland Northern Isles Shetland List of Shetland islands Orkney List of Orkney islands Hebrides Outer Hebrides List of Outer Hebrides Inner Hebrides List of Inner Hebrides St Kilda Other Islands of the Clyde Islands of the Forth Outlying Islands Freshwater Islands

Coordinates: 56°54′N 6°10′W / 56.9°N 6.167°W / 56.9; -6.167

King Creosote
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Anderson[1]
Origin	Fife, Scotland
Labels	Fence Records, Domino Records, 679 Recordings, Double Six
Associated acts	The Burns Unit, Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra, Khartoum Heroes, Jon Hopkins, Kid Canaveral
Website	kingcreosote.com

Kenny Anderson, known primarily by his stage name King Creosote,^[2] is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest, Thrawn, released in 2011.^[3] Anderson is also a member of Scottish-Canadian band, The Burns Unit. In 2011, Anderson's collaborative album with Jon Hopkins, Diamond Mine, was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Anderson's brothers are also musicians: Ian Anderson (known as Pip Dylan) and Gordon Anderson (Lone Pigeon) - who is lead singer and main songwriter with The Aliens. The three frequently collaborate at live shows and on album releases.

Musical career[link]

In 1995, local Fife musician Kenny Anderson launched his own label, Fence, and began recording albums under the name King Creosote:

I had a band and we did all the things you know you do with a band and you trial it and take advice and do shows, then you lose money and the band gets hacked off then the band breaks up and it just got to a point where I just questioned why I was doing it in the first place. In a way, it seemed like the fun had gone out of it. A lot of the songs I was writing were written for the band & things became big things, I just got to a point where, I thought the band were hating every song I was writing for whatever reason, some people were like oh no I don't want to play that, that's too this or that's too that. It just got to a point where the band broke up and I thought, well, you know what I just want to get back into recording again and doing it on my own, I don't have to watch the clock I'm not in a studio anymore more, and at the time I got one of the really early stand alone CD Burners and that was like a revelation because it meant I could make CDs so I'd have a DAT tape as a master then burn albums one at a time and do artwork.^[4]

Today, Anderson runs Fence Records alongside Johnny Lynch, as well as Fence's annual Homegame Festival.^[5]

In recent years, Anderson has teamed up with Domino Records who have co-released some of his albums. He also spent some time on Warner subsidiary, 679, which gave him major label backing for the first time.

To this end, KC Rules OK was re-released in 2006 with different versions of some songs, and a version of the album called "Chorlton and the Wh'earlies" recorded with The Earlies was available with some purchases. Bombshell was released with an additional disc, a DVD film of King Creosote and friends on tour.

In a June 2008 interview on BBC 6 Music, mistakenly introduced as "King Creole", he told Tom Robinson that he'd like to play a festival every weekend this summer and then return home for the weekdays.

In the 2007 film Hallam Foe two of his songs, "The Someone Else" and "King Bubbles in Sand", were featured.^[6]

In late 2009, Anderson released a new studio album Flick the Vs, and crafted a performance only album, entitled My Nth Bit of Strange in Umpteen Years. Anderson also contributed to the Cold Seeds collaborative album along with Frances Donnelly of Animal Magic Tricks, and Neil Pennycook and Pete Harvey from Meursault; which was released on the Edinburgh-based indie label Song, By Toad Records. Anderson, Donnelly and Pennycook all wrote songs for the project, which all four performers then recorded together; each singer often taking the lead vocal role on a song written by another of the artists. The album was given a special limited release at the Fence Records Homegame Festival in Anstruther, Fife in March 2010, before a general release was announced for June 2010.

In 2011, Anderson attended the SxSW Music Festival and played a number of shows, two of which featured fellow Scottish attendees Kid Canaveral as his backing band. The same year, Anderson released Diamond Mine, a collaborative album with electronica composer Jon Hopkins, to critical acclaim. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize, with Anderson stating, "It feels like this is the beginning of something. And to feel that so far down the line, after putting out forty effing albums, oh my God! It means, I can still do this, it's not over."^[7] The duo subsequently released an EP, Honest Words.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Queen Of Brush County (FNC 01, 1998)
• Rain Weekend (FNC 02, 1998)
• Inner Crail To Outer Space (FNC 03, 1998)
• Or Is It? (FNC 04, 1998)
• Gink Scootere (FNC 05, 1998)
• 1999: An Endless Round Of Balls (Parties And Social Events) (FNC 06, 1999)
• Wednesday (FNC 07, 1999)
• Jacques De Fence (FNC JDF, 1999)
• I Am 9 (FNC 09, 1999)
• Planet Eggz (FNC 10, 1999)
• Or Was It? (FNC 11, 2000)
• 12 O'Clock On The Dot (FNC 12, 2000)
• Stinks (FNC 13, 2000)
• G (FNC 14, 2001)
• Radge Weekend Starts Here (FNC 15, 2001)
• King Creosote Says "Buy The Bazouki Hair Oil" (FNC 16, 2001)
• Disclaimer (FNC 17, 2001)
• Squeezebox Set (FNC 18 to 22, 2002) - 5 album boxset containing:-
  Fair Dubhs
  Favourite Girl
  Whelk Of Arse
  More Afraid Of Plastic
  Losing It On The Gyles (very limited ^[8])
• Now (Nearly 36) (PF A01, 2003)
• Psalm Clerk (FNC 23, 2003)
• Ideal Rumpus Room Guide (PF B03, 2003)
• Sea Glass (FNC 24, 2004)
• Three Nuns" (PF B10, 2004)
• Kenny and Beth's Musakal Boat Rides (FNC K&B, also Domino Recording Co, 2003)
• Red On Green (FNC 26, 2004)
• Kompanion Cet +1 (PF C06, 2004)
• Rocket D.I.Y. (FNC 27, also Domino Recording Co, 2005)
• Loose tea on his Wynd (2004)
• Vintage Quays (FNC 29, 2004)
• KC Rules OK (Names/679, 2005)
• Harbour the Hillfolk (2005)
• demos (2005)
• Yellow On Red (FNC 31, 2005)
• Isle of Lo Fi (FNC 32, 2006)
• Waltzer (FNC 33, 2006)
• Bombshell (Names/679, 2007)
• Dumps vol.1 (2007) (limited run for 2007 purchasers of the latest release of the aforementioned Squeezebox set)
• They Flock Like Vulcans to See Old Jupiter Eyes on His Home Craters (FNC 34, 2008)
• Flick the Vs (Domino/Fence, 2009)
• My Nth Bit of Strange in Umpteen Years (2009/2010) - performance-only album
• That Might Be It, Darling (Fence, 2010) - Limited vinyl run.
• Diamond Mine (Domino, 2011) (with Jon Hopkins)
• Thrawn (2011)
• Honest Words (Domino, 2011) (with Jon Hopkins)

Singles[link]

• Homerun and a Vow (As King Creosote and Kid Canaveral)/Nowhere Near Half Done (Kid Canaveral) (7" Single, 31st October 2011. Fence Records. FNC-SECRET7-011) Spilt 7" single with Kid Canaveral

Other recordings[link]

• 2005: He recorded a cover of Jeff Buckley's "Grace" for the tribute album Dream Brother: The Songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley
• 2006: He recorded an original song about the biblical plague of frogs, called "Relate The Tale" for the Artangel /4AD project "Plague Songs" He remixed Badly Drawn Boy's "Nothing's going to change your mind" for the single release (highest chart position in the UK #38). He recorded a version of the song Nothing Compares 2 U originally written by Prince
• 2007: He recorded an original song "Where and When" with music by King Creosote and lyrics written by Scottish novelist Laura Hird. This was for the album "Ballads of the Book" a collection of collaborations between Scottish musicians and novellists & poets.
• 2008: He recorded a version of Malcolm Middleton's "Choir" which appeared on the b-side of the 7" single version of "Blue Plastic Bags". This was something of a reciprocal deal, with Middleton having covered King Creosote's "Margerita Red" on his 2008 album, "Sleight of Heart" ^[9]
• 2010: He contributed to the Cold Seeds collaborative album along with Frances Donnelly of Animal Magic Tricks, and Neil Pennycook and Pete Harvey from Meursault; which was released on the Edinburgh-based indie label Song, By Toad Records. Anderson, Donnelly and Pennycook all wrote songs for the project, which all four performers then recorded together; each singer often taking the lead vocal role on a song written by another of the artists.
• 2011: He collaborated with Jon Hopkins to create the album Diamond Mine which was released on the 28th of March on Domino Records. The songs were written earlier in King Creosote's career and revisited for this project.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• King Creosote on Myspace
• King Creosote on Fence Records