Mallaig
The name “Mallaig” was composed from the Gaelic component Mol or Mal meaning ‘shingly’ (covered in small pebbles) and Vik which is Norse for ‘bay’ or it could simply be Norse for “Bay of the Seabirds”. Mallaig’s Gaelic name is “Acarsaid na Coille Mor” which means “Harbour of the Big Wood”.
Mallaig has been a harbour for long enough to have been used by the Vikings when they came to plunder the Scottish shores but it wasn’t until the last couple decades of the 19th century that the area started taking on the appearance of a fishing port. This was after Lord Lovat had the road to the pier extended and a barrel and salt store built.
Around this time, Mallaig became famous for its massive hauls of herring, then a very important industry on the west coast of Scotland.
The Fort William to Mallaig Railway Line or the “Mallaig Extension” as it is known today was completed in 1901 and one of the most popular railway lines for tourists visiting the UK.