Mallaig is a port in Lochaber, on the west shore of the Highlands of Scotland. The regional train station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line (Ft William and Mallaig branch) as well as the community is connected to Ft William by the A830 road-- the "Road to the Isles". The village of Mallaig was founded in the 1840s, when Lord Lovat, owner of North Morar Estate, split up the farm of Mallaigvaig right into seventeen tracts and also encouraged his tenants to transfer to the western part of the peninsula as well as rely on angling as a way of living. The population and local economy broadened rapidly in the 20th century with the arrival of the train. Ferries run by Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Isles Cruises cruise from the port to Armadale on the Isle of Skye, Inverie in Knoydart, as well as the islands of Rùm, Eigg, Muck, and Canna. Mallaig is the major industrial fishing port on the West Coastline of Scotland, and during the 1960s was the busiest herring port in Europe. Mallaig prided itself back then on its renowned commonly smoked kippers, the fishmonger Andy Race still supplying genuine oak smoked kippers from the manufacturing facility store on the harbour. Mallaig as well as the bordering location is a preferred area for vacations. Most of the neighborhood talks English, with a minority of locals speaking both English as well as Gaelic. On top of that, conventional Gaelic is still taught in Mallaig Primary School to students that pick to learn the language.