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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                          = Scotland
| official_name                    = Catacol
| gaelic_name                      = Catagal
| os_grid_reference                = NR909496
| coordinates                      = {{coord|55.695|-5.326|display=inline,title}}
| civil_parish                     = [[Kilmory, Arran|Kilmory]]
| unitary_scotland                 = [[North Ayrshire]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Ayrshire and Arran]]
| constituency_westminster         = [[North Ayrshire and Arran (UK Parliament constituency)|North Ayrshire and Arran]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Cunninghame North (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Cunninghame North]]
| post_town                        = ISLE OF ARRAN
| postcode_district                = KA27
| postcode_area                    = KA
| dial_code                        = 01770
| static_image_name                = The Twelve Apostles at Catacol Bay - geograph.org.uk - 679050.jpg
| static_image_caption             = ''The Twelve Apostles'' at Catacol Bay
}}

'''Catacol''' ({{langx|gd|Catagal}}) is a small village on the [[Isle of Arran]], in the council area of [[North Ayrshire]], Scotland.

==Geography==
Catacol is located on the north west side of the island, just a few miles along the coastal road from [[Lochranza]] that continues on to [[Blackwaterfoot]]. It derives its name from [[Old Norse]], referring to the 'gully of the cat', referring to the [[European wildcat|wildcats]] that may have roamed here.<ref name=Walkguides>{{cite book|title=Walk the Arran Coastal Way |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jjA91eGQiVwC&pg=PP7 |publisher=Walkguides |page=7}}</ref> It is situated at the foot of Glen Catacol, a steep-sided valley down which the [[Abhainn Mor]] flows, where the river is crossed by a bridge just inland from the banks of shingle on the beach beside Catacol Bay.<ref name=Atlas>{{cite book |title=Atlas of the World |last=Philip's |year=1994 |publisher=Reed International |isbn=0-540-05831-9 |pages=18 }}</ref>

==Landmarks==
Catacol's main feature is the row of [[cottage]]s called the 'Twelve Apostles', which were completed around the middle of the 1860s.<ref name="basford">{{cite book |editor1-last=Basford |editor1-first=Joan |title=History of the Villages of the Isle of Arran |date=2002 |publisher=Scottish Women's Rural Institute |page=29 |quote=...from old newspapers found plastered on to the roof timbers of one of the houses it is clear that they were not completed until the middle of the 1860s}}</ref> They were built to house those people cleared from the surrounding countryside, when much of the interior of the island was set aside for [[deer]], the hunting of which had become fashionable among the landed gentry. The theory was these former farmers evicted from the land would turn to fishing, and with this in mind, each of the twelve cottages had a differently shaped first floor window.  This would allow the woman of the house to signal by placing a candle in the window to her husband while he was out fishing on the [[Firth of Clyde]].  The husband would know who was being signalled by the shape of the window in which the candle was lit.  In reality, most of the dispossessed crofters moved away to other parts of the island in protest against their [[eviction]], and the houses remained empty for two years, during which time they were known as "hungry row".<ref name="basford" /> There is also a small jetty that is no longer used, an old anchor embedded into the grass and an old boat winch. 

The village formerly housed a hotel, the [[:File:Catacol Bay Hotel - geograph.org.uk - 16168.jpg|Catacol Bay Hotel]], know by locals as 'the cat', permanently closed in September 2018 due to the owner retiring.<ref name=Walkguides/> The surrounding area has grassy hills, moorland and patches of woodland in the steep-sided gullies. The Isle of Arran is the only place in which the [[Sorbus pseudomeinichii|Catacol whitebeam]] (''Sorbus pseudomeinichii'') is to be found. This is an extremely rare tree endemic to the area, thought to be a hybrid of the native rowan (''Sorbus aucuparia'') and the [[Sorbus pseudofennica|cut-leaved whitebeam]] (''Sorbus pseudofennica''), of which there may be only one or two surviving specimens.<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Beech, E. |author2=Rich, T.C.G. |author3=Rivers, M.C. |year=2017 |title=''Sorbus pseudomeinichii'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T79749367A79749371 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T79749367A79749371.en |access-date=24 October 2020}}</ref>

Other notable landmarks include an old anchor embedded into the grassy bank by the beach, and a small jetty.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/catacol.jpg Image of the "Twelve Apostles" from the shore at Catacol]

{{Arran}}

[[Category:Villages in the Isle of Arran]]