Portnahaven

Portnahaven (Gaelic: Port na h- Abhainne ) is a small village on the Scottish Hebridean island of Islay. It is located in the south of the peninsula near the Rhinns of Islay Rhinns Point, which marks the southernmost point of the peninsula. Bowmore, the island's capital, is approximately 15 km in a north-easterly direction, the Ferry Port Ellen is located some 20 km west-southwest. The nearest town is the few hundred meters away, Port Wemyss.

The village nestles around a small bay. Its port is protected by a few hundred meters away islands Orsay and Eilean Mhic Coinnich. In Portnahaven the A847, which branches in Bridgend from the A846 ends, and connects the village to the road network.

History

In the 1830s allowed Walter Frederick Campbell, the Laird of Islay, build various villages on the island, mainly to provide housing for as part of the Highland Clearances displaced from their lands population. In addition to Port Ellen, Port Charlotte and Port Wemyss Portnahaven also belonged to the plan settlements at this time incurred on Islay. According to reports, was previously at this location a settlement from a poor fishermen's huts. In the census of 1871, 411 people in Portnahaven. Ten years later the number had been reduced to 361. After a number of only 106 residents in 1961, the population eventually rose to 150 at the 1991 census.

Portnahaven was first in the Parish of Kilchoman and was with the Church Portnahaven location of the addition of the Parish Church according to the 1827 finished Kilchoman Church. It was built to offer the people in the south of Rhinns of Islay a nearby church. 1849 Kilchoman Parish was split and set up an independent Parish Portnahaven with the Portnahaven Church as the main church. 1962, the Parish was again eventually merged with Kilchoman and in 2006, with Kilmeny.