Inchcailloch

Inchcailloch is a small island in Loch Lomond, part of the Highland boundary fault. It stands near Balmaha on the mainland and is the most visited of the Loch Lomond islands. The islet is heavily wooded and reaches 85 metres at its highest point. Its name in Scottish Gaelic means ‘Isle of the old woman’ or ‘Isle of the Cowled Woman’. The island is linked to Saint Kentigerna, an Irish missionary who came to Scotland to spread Christianity. A narrow, shallow channel separates it from the shore, allowing deer to cross easily. The island has a long history tied to hunting, farming and oak plantations. Deer still roam its slopes, and white deer were seen there in 2003. Until the early 19th century it was farmed, and the ruins of the farm remain visible. For over a century it was an oak plantation, supplying timber for wood vinegar, tar and dye at Balmaha. A church dedicated to St Kentigerna served as the parish church until 1621, and its graveyard was used until 1947. The Clan MacGregor burial ground holds some of Rob Roy’s ancestors. Visitors reach Inchcailloch by passenger ferry from Balmaha. A camp site sits at Port Bawn in the south, and a nature trail winds through the woodland. The island’s burial ground and ancient yew trees appear in Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake. The isle holds the Clan MacGregor’s hallowed ground, where clan members once took their oaths. Its quiet shores and shaded paths offer a peaceful retreat within a national nature reserve.