Ellenabeich

Ellenabeich is a village on the western coast of Seil, an island in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, situated opposite the Easdale Islands in the Sound of Seil. The settlement lies along the coastal shore and is part of the broader island community that characterizes the area.

The settlement grew in the 19th century around slate quarries that exploited the local stone and supported a small local community. The slate industry shaped the village, with workers housed nearby and quays and tramways that connected Ellenabeich to Easdale and other quarries in the region.

The main Ellenabeich slate quarry provided roofing slate for regional markets and was connected to Easdale and other quarries by a network of tramways and loading quays. The landscape retains remnants of quarry activity, including quarry faces and spoil heaps, and many former quarry buildings survive in altered form, some having been converted for housing or visitor facilities.

In modern times, Ellenabeich is a sheltered coastal village with stone cottages clustered along the shore. It forms part of the Seil community within Argyll and Bute and is linked to the mainland by the Seil Bridge. The area is popular with walkers and visitors exploring the Slate Islands and the coastline of the Sound of Seil, and the surrounding countryside is notable for seabird life and expansive sea views.