Uig, Snizort
Uig (Scottish Gaelic: Ùige [ˈuːkʲə]) is a village at the head of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.[1] In 2011 it had a population of 423.[2]
Uig
| |
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Uig Harbour and Pier | |
Uig Location within the Isle of Skye | |
Area | 54 km2 (21 sq mi) |
Population | 423 (2011) |
• Density | 8/km2 (21/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | NG396634 |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | PORTREE |
Postcode district | IV51 |
Dialling code | 01470 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Name
The name is thought to be derived from Old Norse vík, which means bay[3] or inlet. Borrowed via Germanic intermediary *wīkō ('harbour town') from Latin vīcus (Classical Latin: [ˈu̯iːkʊs̠], 'village'), Uig shares etymological roots with placenames such as Wick, Highland; Vik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway; Vík í Mýrdal, Iceland; the suffix -wich, and the word village itself.
Geography
Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it. Two watercourses enter the bay at Uig: the River Rha from the north and the River Conon which drains Glen Uig to the east. The lower courses of both of these small rivers are characterised by waterfalls.
Uig Tower is a prominent local landmark associated with the Highland Clearances.
Uigg, Prince Edward Island, Canada was named by settlers from Uig.
Transport
Road
Uig is served by the A87 road from Portree and Kyle of Lochalsh to the south, and the A855 road which runs northwards around the end of the Trotternish peninsula before also turning south to Portree. Uig is also served by the local 57A and 57C buses from Portree and Trotternish, and daily Scottish Citylink buses which travel from Glasgow via Fort William and Kyle of Lochalsh.
Ferries
Key | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From its sheltered port, Caledonian MacBrayne ferries run to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist, providing links with the Outer Hebrides.
Preceding station | Ferry | Following station | ||
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Terminus | Caledonian MacBrayne North Uist Ferry |
Lochmaddy | ||
Terminus | Caledonian MacBrayne Harris Ferry |
Tarbert |
References
- "Uig". The Gazetteer for Scotland. School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- Highland Council 2011 census profile for Settlement Zones
- "Placenames P-Z" (PDF). Scottish Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
Sources
- Macleod, Roderick (1845). "Parish of Snizort". The new statistical account of Scotland. [electronic resource]. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. pp. 287-295.