Elgol

The Strathaird peninsula was historically a heartland of the MacKinnons, a robustly Jacobite clan. On 4 July 1746, the Young Pretender found sanctuary at Elgol in the course of his wanderings under the protection of MacKinnon of MacKinnon and Captain John MacKinnon of Elgol. The cave where he is said to have waited for a boat to the mainland ("Prince Charlie’s cave", or "Uamh Phrionnsa") can still be visited today, a short walk to the south of the village.

The village had a considerably higher population prior to the Clearances. It now has a population of approximately 150. Elgol's scenic attractions have drawn in many outsiders seeking holiday homes and a majority of the properties there are no longer occupied on a year-round basis. In the 2011 census, 31% of the residents were reported as speaking Scottish Gaelic. The village is also a terminal for two privately owned boat trips to Loch Coruisk and the Small Isles along with a coffee shop, Bistro and Coruisk House Michelin Guide restaurant. In 1972 the bulk carrier Nermo Smernokoff lost its full cargo of various cheeses which eventually washed up in Elgol Bay.