(Sorry if I inadvertently sent my previous post before it was complete.) I would like some definitive information re. Solam as an alleged "plague village." Peggy earl briefly mentions it in her book, "Tales of Islay, Fact and Folklore," in the section on historical tales. She writes that there was a fever or plague brought to the village in the late 18th century by a gift/gifts from shipwrecked sailors that the village women had aided. I can find no other references to it in any of my books on Islay. I have to wonder if the original simple story has not been embellished in the interests of tourism. My sister has just returned form a visit to Islay and was all full of how they tried to make the walk to Solam (too muddy), "...you know the plague village, where they put food on the rock outside the village every day, until one day the food from the previous day was still there and so they knew the all villagers had perished." I asked her where she had gotten that story and she said from the lady who makes and sells soap - I think one of the Islay House shops - ? When I google Solam, all I get are personal photo postings and descriptions of walks people have taken on Islay, with similar words to what my sister said. Tourist tales. It all sounds very similar to the story of Eyam, in Derbyshire (I think) a true plague village that suffered a visitation of plague in the 17th century. I'm not sure why I'm somewhat sceptical, but after all my trips (4) to Islay, and all my reading of Islay history, I have never heard this. So can any of you (Roger?) shed some honest light on Solam and the plague story? Steffenie