Eigg
Eigg (/ɛɡ/ eg; Scottish Gaelic: Eige; Scots: Eigg) is one of the Small Isles in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is 9 kilometres (5+1⁄2 miles) long from north to south, and 5 km (3 mi) east to west. With an area of 12 sq mi (31 km2), it is the second-largest of the Small Isles after Rùm. Eigg generates virtually all of its electricity using renewable energy.
| Scottish Gaelic name | Eige |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | [ˈekʲə] ⓘ |
| Scots name | Eigg |
| Old Norse name | Unknown |
| Meaning of name | Scottish Gaelic for 'notched island' (eag) |
An Sgùrr | |
| Location | |
Eigg Eigg shown within Lochaber | |
| OS grid reference | NM476868 |
| Coordinates | 56.9°N 6.15°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Small Isles |
| Area | 3,049 ha (11.8 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 28 |
| Highest elevation | An Sgùrr, 393 m (1,289 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Scotland |
| Council area | Highland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 105 |
| Population rank | 47 |
| Population density | 2.7 people/km2 |
| Largest settlement | Cleadale |
| References | |
Eigg has been owned by the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust since 1997, as a community ownership; another stakeholder, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, manages the island as a nature reserve. In April 2019, National Geographic discussed the island in an online article, estimating the population at 107 and the average number of annual visitors at 10,000.