Eilean Chathastail

Eilean Chathastail is a small island off the south-east coast of Eigg in the Inner Hebrides. It lies just 100 metres from Eigg’s shore and stretches about one kilometre in length. The island shelters the only safe harbour at Galmisdale, making it vital for boats visiting Eigg. In 1906, the Stevenson brothers built Eigg lighthouse on its eastern edge. Its rocky shores and low grassy slopes give it a quiet, rugged appearance. The island has a place in Scottish travel writing. In 1844, geologist Hugh Miller arrived here aboard the yacht Betsey and later described the scene in his book The Cruise of the Betsey. He noted the dramatic view of Eigg’s Scuir and the nearby islands of Muck and Rum. A later laird of Eigg, Robert Lawrie Thomson, is buried at the southern tip, marked by a simple enclosure on the higher ground. Visitors find a small, windswept island with no buildings except the lighthouse. The shoreline offers calm anchorage inside the natural breakwater. From the higher parts, views stretch across the channel to Eigg’s cliffs and the distant peaks of Rum. The burial site stands near the island’s highest point, a quiet reminder of the past. The whole place feels remote yet connected to Eigg’s history.