The Isle of Skye is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides which lie off the north-western coast of Scotland and are included in the Highland Region. The island is considered by some to contain the most spectacular scenery in the Highlands and is comprised of windswept, rugged and rocky mountainous areas, covered in grass and moorland with a dramatic and beautiful coastline littered with bays, sea arches, stacks, caves and cliffs.
The island evokes mystery and enchantment with its inspiring scenery and ever changing colours, and maintains an aura of mysticism created over an almost 4000 year time span covering the periods from prehistoric peoples to the Norse and Celtic times when the island was known as the Isle of the Clouds by the Vikings, the Winged Island by the Celts and Eilann A’Cheo, the Island of Mist, by romantics!!
One of the best known features of Skye is the main mountain ranges of the Red and Black Cuillins which stand to the south of the island. These mountains can be seen from every peninsula on the island and it is said to contain the only true mountains in the United Kingdom. The magnificent Black Cuillins, which contain 12 Munros (Scottish mountains over 3000 feet, approximately 915 metres) includes Sgurr Alasdair the highest at 992 metres!! These impressive peaks and ridges form a horseshoe-shaped range which encircle one of the most isolated lakes in Scotland, Loch Coruisk.
Skye is sparsely populated with only approximately 10,000 inhabitants on the island which is 80 kilometres long, with a varying width from 10 to 40 kilometres. Most people on the island are employed in the primary industries of farming, fishing and forestry, with approximately 2000 small croft farms scattered across the island involved in cattle, sheep and wool. Tourism is a major industry with many visitors drawn here for the hill-walking and where they can enjoy the natural country life and the spectacular scenic beauty. Some visit of course to see the vibrant culture and heritage, or to see the abundant wildlife which includes the Golden Eagle, Sea Eagle, Corncrake and the Red and Roe Deer!! Although the Hebrides generally lack bio-diversity in comparison to the mainland, Skye has much to offer the naturalist, such as sightings of Otters, Grey Seals, Common Seals and various species of Dolphin and Whale. If walking and animal watching is not your interest, pay a visit to the visitors centre at the Talisker Distillery, or visit the Glendale Toy Museum, or maybe enjoy some of the art studios, galleries and craft studios that are scattered all over the island. One thing not to be missed is the Isle of Skye Highland Games which includes a festival of Highland dancing, bagpipe playing and of course traditional athletic events, but you will have to find out when!!
Skye has a rich heritage of ancient monuments starting from the early sites left behind such as the shell middens at Staffin dating from the Mesolithic hunter gatherers of 7000 B.C., and the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age sites of the Rubha an Dunain Peninsula, which lies south of the Cuillin, or the ruins of a promontory fort near the Loch na h’Airde. These are just the beginnings, as the island was home to the Vikings for almost 400 years although there is hardly any evidence of this left. Skye is best known for its castles, such as Dunvegan, the seat of the Clan MacLeod since the 13th century and the 18th century Armadale Castle, once home of Clan MacDonald of Sleat which now hosts the Clan Donald Centre. There are also the ruins of Castle Maol, the ancient seat of the Mackinnon Clan, Knock Castle former stronghold of the MacDonalds and Dunscaith Castle which is the legendary home of the island’s warrior Queen and Prophetess, the Goddess Scathach, and was once the seat of the Clan MacDonald.
Other places of interest on the island –
Monkstadt House near Uig, which lies 25 kilometres from Portree on Skye’s north-west coast. This is the place where ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ was first brought by Flora Macdonald, from the Isle of Benbecula, ‘over the sea to Skye’.
The Skye Museum of Highland Life at Kilmuir, 30 kilometres north of Portree, exhibits life on Skye as it would have been 100 years ago. Nearby in the churchyard of Kilmuir Church, Flora MacDonald lies buried, wrapped in a sheet used by Prince Charles Edward Stuart.
Dunvegan Castle, 35 kilometres west of the town, is the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod who have lived there at least since the 12th century. The Castle has a very grim dungeon, but also the famous ‘fairy’ flag of the MacLeods with its magical properties.
The Black House Folk Museum at Colbost, 3 kilometres west of Dunvegan, gives more information on the history of the island and its way of life.
Three kilometres north of Colbost is the Piping Centre at Borreraig which pays tribute to the MacCrimmons, the most famous pipers in Scotland.
The Clan Donald Centre at Armadale, 70 kilometres south of Portree, the Museum of the Isles shows the history of the Lords of the Isles and the Clan of MacDonald.
Did you know that - apart from the song ‘Over the sea to Skye’, that is known to all, another song about Skye was well known in the 1950’s? It was called ‘Donald, where’s your troosers’ and was sung by Andy Stewart
|