Shieldaig
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Shieldaig, viewed from the road to Applecross |
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| Shieldaig shown within the Highland council area | |
| OS grid reference | NG815539 |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Kinlochewe |
| Postcode district | IV54 |
| Dialling code | 01520 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Shieldaig (Scottish Gaelic: Sìldeag) is a village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland.
The village was founded in 1800 with a view to training up seamen for war against Napoleon. After his (initial) defeat and exile to Elba, the community found itself a new role as a fishing village. The small island just offshore never had its tall pines harvested to rig warships, and has now become a nature sanctuary.
The name of the village is a Viking word meaning 'loch of the herring' which do indeed still populate the bay in some profusion.
Shieldaig is a community of around 85 people, with its own school, a small pub, a village hall that doubles as a chapel, and a church. It is much used as a holiday destination, attracting those interested in sea fishing, and explorers of the Torridon Hills, which are a few miles around the coast.
Shieldaig holds a community fete in the second weekend of August.