McGregor, Western Cape

McGregor, Western Cape
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
Time zone	SAST (UTC+2)
Postal code	6708
Area code(s)	023
Website	www.tourismmcgregor.co.za www.mcgregorvillage.co.za

McGregor is a small village in the mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa. It is roughly 150 km east of Cape Town. It is located in Ward 5 of the Breede River Winelands Municipality. According the Census 2001, this Ward has a population of 10,254 people (Stats SA, 2001).

The village was established in 1861 and was originally called Lady Grey. It was renamed in 1905 in honour of Rev. Andrew McGregor, who had been the Dutch Reformed Church minister of the Robertson District for forty years. It has become somewhat of a magnet for alternative lifestyles. The local Waldorf school has roughly 167 children. It is part of the broader wine route network of the Western Cape and is situated at one end of the popular Boesmanskloof Trail to the town of Greyton to the south.

The village irrigation system dates back many years. The edge of the streets have a water channel fed from the town dam. Each landowner has a slot allocated during the week where they get a few minutes to an hour of the channel flowing into their property. The time is a function of the size of the property. In the past year some controversy has arisen due to the reduction of the roster to every second week in an effort to keep a fuller dam.

McGregor is a popular destination for visitors because of its remote location and old world charm. The local official tourism bureau offers information and travel services to visitors free of charge. The annual food and wine festival, held in August, showcases superior wines from the valley as well as local food specialties.

External links

• McGregor Village - accommodation, events, property sales, restaurants and wineries, healers, hiking, history and general information
• Village website
• Tourist and Accommodation Information - accommodation bookings, things to do, places to eat, wine cellars, official tourism site
• History of McGregor

Coordinates: 33°57′S 19°50′E / 33.95°S 19.833°E / -33.95; 19.833