The harbourside village at St Michael’s Mount has been home to an island community for centuries. The population swelled to around 300 towards the middle of the 19th century, during the harbour’s heyday as a busy port. Although the harbour is now predominantly used by pleasure boats, the village still houses a number of people whose lives are inextricably linked to the island. The row of picturesque cottages that lines the harbour area is occupied by the island’s boatmen, guides, gardeners and other staff members and their families, creating a community of about 30 in all. This gives St Michael’s Mount an unmistakable sense of living, breathing history.