Elliston's early name was Bird Island Cove, a name given by 17th century fishermen that frequented the area. The name refers to two bird infested islands just offshore.

 

Early settlement occured at the end of the 18th century, presumably  by runaway Irish fishing servants from Bonavista.

 

In the next centuries Elliston florished, all based on cod fishing and seal hunting.

Decline set in after 1950 and the Cod Moratorium of 1992 gave the final blow.

 

Today Elliston is known for its root cellars and puffins.

 

Root cellars were used as a cool and frost free storage for potatoes, carrots and salted fish and meat.

 

But the Puffin Viewing Site is the main attraction here. A short walk brings you close to an island that the local puffins call home. From a few dozen meters you can watch these peculiar birds do their thing. Puffins are not easily disturbed, not by human voyeurs nor by noisy seagulls they share the island with.

 

We visited the root cellars and the puffins in September 2017.