Arasaig or Arisaig, a village and a territorial district in Ardnamurchan parish, on the W coast of Invernessshire. The village stands on a small sea-loch, nearly opposite the N end of Eigg island, 22 miles NE of Ardnamurchan Point, and 38¼ W by N of Fort William. a small place, with only a few scattered houses, it serves as a centre of business and a point of communication for an extensive but thinly-peopled tract of country; maintained formerly a regular ferry to Skye, and still can furnish boats for passengers thither; communicates regularly with the steamers plying between the Clyde and Skye; and has a post office under Fort William, a large inn, a mission church of the Establishment, a Free Church mission station, a Roman Catholic chapel(1849; 600 sittings), a Christian Knowledge Society's school; and fairs on the Saturday before the second Wednesday of June, on the fourth Tuesday of August, and on the third Tuesday of October. The minister of the Established mission church receives £60 a-year from the Royal Bounty grant, and has a manse. Arasaig House, near the village, was the residence of the tenth Lord Cranstoun (1809-69).
The territorial district is bounded by Loch Mora on the N, by Loch Aylort on the S; has a rugged, sterile, mountainous character; and terminates seaward in a- promontory, called Arasaig Point, nearly opposite the middle of Eigg island. Pop. of registration district (1861) 1343, (1871) 1131, (1881) 1130.
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