Port Ellen
Human settlement in Scotland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Port Ellen (Scottish Gaelic: Port Ilein[2]) is a small town on the island of Islay, in Argyll, Scotland. The town is named after the wife of its founder, Walter Frederick Campbell.[3] Its previous name, Leòdamas, is derived from Old Norse meaning "Leòd's Harbour".
Port Ellen
| |
|---|---|
Port Ellen | |
  Port Ellen Location within Argyll and Bute | |
| Population | 810 (2020)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NR365455 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ISLE OF ISLAY |
| Postcode district | PA42 |
| Dialling code | 01496 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Port Ellen is built around Loch Leòdamais, Islay's main deep water harbour. It is the largest town on Islay, only slightly larger than Bowmore and provides the main ferry connection between Islay and the mainland, at Kennacraig. The Port Ellen Distillery was first established in the 1820s and ceased production of Scotch whisky in 1983, until reopening in 2024. The large malting continues to produce for the majority of the distilleries on Islay.[4][5]
History
The area around Port Ellen has a variety of archaeological sites covering the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age periods. There are standing stones at Kilbride, a fort at Borraichill Mor, several chambered cairns, and a chapel at Cill Tobar Lasrach.[4] Nearby lie the ruined remains of the 14th-century Dunyvaig Castle, once a fortress of the MacDonald Lords of the Isles.[6]
The current town was planned by Walter Frederick Campbell and founded in 1821 originally intended to support the herring industry.[7] It was originally called Port Ellinor in honour of his wife, Lady Eleanor Charteris (d. 1832), daughter of Francis Douglas, 8th Earl of Wemyss.
Ferry service
| Preceding station | Ferry | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Caledonian MacBrayne Islay Ferry |
Kennacraig | ||
| Terminus | Kintyre Express April to October |
Ballycastle |
Notable people
George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Labour politician and former Secretary General of NATO was born in Port Ellen[8] on 12 April 1946.
