Whig

This small, undeveloped conifer and oak wooded island with rocky shores is located in the eastern end of the protected waterway of Long Cove. The island is used by deer, otter, and nesting songbirds. During the summer months, Great Blue Herons often rest and feed in the protected north side cove. Extensive tide flats surround the island at low tide, making the island inaccessible during the lower half of the tide cycle. Visitors should plan accordingly. The easiest landing is at the eastern end of the island.

Whig Island was on the Native American canoe route between Castine and the other islands. The canoe route divided in Long Cove; one branch led to Southeast Harbor and beyond to Webb Cove, and the other branch led to Greenlaw Cove via a crossing at the Carrying Place at the end of Long Cove. Whig was a convenient stopping place, and the small shell midden on the south shore confirms that it was used by Indigenous peoples. The canoe route was in use from roughly 3000 years ago to well into the 20th century.

Following settlement by Europeans, the neighboring land on Deer Isle was used for subsistence farming. The farmhouse visible from Whig Island came into the Barbour family in the 1830s. The Barbour family used Whig as a source of firewood until 2015, when a group of interested neighbors purchased the island and donated it to [Island Heritage Trust](https://www.islandheritagetrust.org/) to protect its natural, historical, and recreational resources.