Skye
Encyclopedia
Skye or the Isle of Skye ( or Eilean a' Cheò) is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides
of Scotland
. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin
hills. Although it has been suggested that the first of these Gaelic names describes a "winged" shape there is no definitive agreement as to the name's origins.
The island has been occupied since the mesolithic
period and has a colourful history including a time of Norse
rule and a long period of domination by Clan MacLeod
and Clan Donald. The events of the 19th century had a devastating impact on the human population, which declined from over 20,000 to around 9,200 in the early 21st century. Nonetheless, in contrast to many other Scottish islands, this represents a 4 per cent increase from the census of 1991. The main industries are tourism
, agriculture, fishing and whisky
-distilling. The largest settlement is Portree
, known for its picturesque harbour.
Skye is part of the Highland Council local government area and is now linked to the mainland by a road bridge
. The island is renowned for its spectacular scenery, vibrant culture and heritage, and its abundant wildlife including the Golden Eagle
, Red Deer
and Atlantic Salmon
.
Skye's history includes the influence of Gaelic, Norse and English speaking peoples and the relationships between their names for the island are not straightforward. The Gaelic name for the "Isle of Skye" is An t-Eilean Sgitheanach (or Sgiathanach, a more recent and less common spelling). The meaning of this name is not clear. Various etymologies have been proposed, such as the "winged isle" or "the notched isle" but no definitive solution has been found to date and the placename may be from a substratum
language and simply opaque.
For example, writing in 1549, Donald Munro
, High Dean of the Isles wrote: "This Ile is callit Ellan Skiannach in Irish, that is to say in Inglish the wyngit Ile, be reason it has mony wyngis and pointis lyand furth fra it, throw the dividing of thir foirsaid Lochis".
There were, however, earlier references to the Isle. Roman
sources refer to the Scitis (see the Ravenna Cosmography
) and Scetis can be found on a map by Ptolemy
. A possible derivation from *skitis
, an early Celt
ic word for "winged", which may describe the island's peninsulas that radiate out from a mountainous centre, has also been suggested.
In the Norse sagas Skye is called Skíð, for example in the Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
saga and a skaldic poem in the Heimskringla
from c. 1230 which contains a line that translates as "the hunger battle-birds were filled in Skye with blood of foemen killed". According to other authors, it was referred to in Norse as skuy (misty isle), *skýey or skuyö (isle of cloud). It is not certain whether the Gaelic poetic name for the island, Eilean a' Cheò "isle of the mist" precedes or postdates the Norse name. Some legends also associate the isle with the mythic figure of Queen Scáthach
.
In April 2007 it was reported in the media that the island's official name had been changed by the Highland Council
to Eilean a' Cheò. However, the Council clarified that this name referred only to one of its 22 wards in the then impending election, and that there were no plans to change signage or discontinue the English name.
after Lewis and Harris
. The coastline of Skye is a series of peninsulas and bays radiating out from a centre dominated by the Cuillin (Gaelic:An Cuiltheann) hills. The main peninsulas include Trotternish
in the north, Waternish
, Duirinish
, Minginish
and Strathaird
to the west and Sleat
in the south. Surrounding islands include Isay
, Longay
, Pabay
, Raasay
, Rona
, Scalpay
, Soay and Wiay
. Malcolm Slesser suggested that its shape "sticks out of the west coast of northern Scotland like a lobster's claw ready to snap at the fish bone of Harris and Lewis" and W. H. Murray that "Skye is sixty miles long, but what might be its breadth is beyond the ingenuity of man to state".
Martin Martin
visited the island and reported on it at length in a 1703 publication. His geological observations included a note that:
The Black Cuillin, which are mainly composed of basalt
and gabbro
, include 12 Munro
s and provide some of the most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain in Scotland. The ascent of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh
is one of the longest rock climbs in Britain and the Inaccessible Pinnacle
is the only peak in Scotland that requires technical climbing skills to reach the summit. A full traverse of the Cuillin ridge may take 15–20 hours to complete. The Red Hills (Gaelic: Am Binnean Dearg) to the south are sometimes also known as the Red Cuillin. They are mainly composed of granite
that has weathered into more rounded hills with many long screes slopes on their flanks. The highest point of these hills is Glamaig
, one of only two Corbetts on Skye.
Trotternish is underlain by basalt, which provides relatively rich soils and a variety of unusual rock features. The Kilt Rock is named for the tartan
-like patterns in the 105 metre (350 ft) cliffs. The Quirang is a spectacular series of rock pinnacles on the eastern side of the main spine of the peninsula and further south is the rock pillar of the Old Man of Storr
.
Beyond Loch Snizort
to the west of Trotternish is the Waternish peninsula, which ends in Ardmore Point's double rock arch. Duirinish is separated from Waternish by Loch Dunvegan. It is ringed by sea cliffs which reach 295 metres (967 ft) at Waterstein Head. Oolitic
loam provides good arable land in the main strath
. Lochs Bracadale and Harport lie between Duirinish and Minginish which includes the narrow valleys of Talisker
and Glen Brittle and whose beaches are formed from black basaltic sands. Strathaird is a relatively small peninsula close to the Cuillin hills with several small crofting
communities. The bedrock of Sleat is Torridonian sandstone
which produces poor soils and boggy ground, although its lower elevations and relatively sheltered eastern shores produces a lush growth of hedgerows and crops.
and the Gulf Stream
create a mild oceanic climate. Temperatures are generally cool, averaging 6.5 °C (44 °F) in January and 15.4 °C (60 °F) in July at Duntulm in Trotternish. Snow seldom lies at sea level and frosts are fewer than the mainland. Winds are a limiting factor for vegetation with speeds of 128 km/h (80 mph) being recorded and south-westerlies the most common. High winds are especially likely on the exposed coasts of Trotternish and Waternish. In common with most islands of the west coast of Scotland, rainfall is generally high at between 1500–2000 mm (60–80 in) per annum and the elevated Cuillin are wetter still. Variations can be considerable, with the north tending to be drier than the south. Broadford
, for example, averages more than 2,870 mm (113 inches) per annum. Trotternish typically has 200 hours of bright sunshine in May, the sunniest month.
in the north at the base of Trotternish is the largest settlement, and main service centre on the island, with a population of 1,960. Broadford is on the east side of the island and Dunvegan
in the north-west. Kyleakin
is linked to Kyle of Lochalsh
on the mainland by the Skye Bridge that spans the narrows of Loch Alsh
. Uig
is on the west of the Trotternish peninsula and Edinbane
is located between Dunvegan and Portree.
hunter-gatherer site dating to the 7th millennium BC at An Corran in Staffin
is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Scotland. Its occupation is probably linked to that of the rock shelter at Sand, Applecross
on the mainland coast of Wester Ross
. Surveys of the area between the two shores of the Inner Sound
and Sound of Raasay have revealed thirty three sites with potentially Mesolithic deposits. Finds of bloodstone
microlith
s on the foreshore at Orbost on the west coast of the island near Dunvegan also suggest Mesolithic occupation of the area. These tools probably originate from the nearby island of Rùm
.
Rubha an Dùnain
, an uninhabited peninsula to the south of the Cuillin
, has a variety of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic
onwards. Loch na h-Airde, which is situated close to the ruins of a promontory fort, is linked to the sea by the artificial "Viking canal" and there are remains of prehistoric settlement dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages nearby. Dun Ringill
is a ruined Iron Age hill fort on the Strathaird peninsula, which was further fortified in the Middle Ages
and may have become the seat of Clan MacKinnon
.
, written shortly before 697, portrays the saint visiting Skye and Adomnán himself is thought to have been familiar with the island. The Irish annals
record a number of events on Skye in the later 7th and early 8th centuries, mainly concerning the struggle between rival dynasties which formed the background to the Old Irish language
romance Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin
.
The Norse held sway throughout the Hebrides from the 9th century until after the Treaty of Perth
in 1266. However, little remains of their presence in the written or archeological record on Skye. Viking
heritage is nonetheless claimed by Clan MacLeod
and Norse tradition is celebrated in the winter fire festival at Dunvegan, during which a replica Viking long boat is set alight.
The most powerful clans on Skye in the post–Norse period were Clan MacLeod, originally based in Trotternish, and Clan MacDonald of Sleat. Following the disintegration of the Lordship of the Isles
, the Mackinnons also emerged as an independent clan, whose substantial landholdings in Skye were centred on Strathaird. In the 16th century, many of the MacInnes clan moved to Sleat. The MacDonalds of South Uist
were bitter rivals of the MacLeods, and an attempt by the former to murder church-goers at Trumpan
in retaliation for a previous massacre on Eigg
, resulted in the Battle of the Spoiling Dyke
of 1578.
After the failure of the Jacobite
rebellion of 1745, Flora MacDonald became famous for rescuing Prince Charles Edward Stuart
from the Hanoverian
troops. Although she was born on South Uist her story is strongly associated with their escape via Skye and she is buried at Kilmuir in Trotternish. Skye was visited by Samuel Johnson
and James Boswell
during their 1773 Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland
. Boswell wrote of their visit to Kilmuir that, "To see Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great champion of the English Tories, salute Miss Flora MacDonald in the isle of Sky, was a striking sight; for though somewhat congenial in their notions, it was very improbable they should meet here. Written on her gravestone are Johnson's words that hers was "A name that will be mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour". In the wake of the rebellion the clan system was broken up and Skye became a series of landed estates.
Of the island in general, Johnson observed:
Skye has a rich heritage of ancient monuments from this period, especially castles. Dunvegan Castle
has been the seat of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century. It contains the Fairy Flag
and is reputed to have been inhabited by a single family for longer than any other house in Scotland.
The 18th century Armadale Castle
, once home of Clan Donald
of Sleat
was abandoned as a residence in 1925 but now hosts the Clan Donald Centre. Nearby are the ruins of two more MacDonald strongholds, Knock Castle, and Dunscaith Castle
, the legendary home of Queen Scáthach. Caisteal Maol
, built in the late 15th century near Kyleakin
and once a seat of Clan MacKinnon
, is another ruin.
From the latter part of the 18th century up to the mid-19th century, the inhabitants of Skye were devastated by famine
and clearances
. The "Battle of the Braes
" involved a demonstration against a lack of access to land and the serving of eviction notices. The incident involved numerous crofters and about 50 police officers. This event was instrumental in the creation of the Napier Commission
, which reported in 1884 on the situation in the Highlands. Disturbances continued until the passing of the 1886 Crofters' Act
and on one occasion 400 marines were deployed on Skye to maintain order. The Clearances had a major impact on the population of Skye and the ruins of a cleared village can be seen at Boreraig
, Strath Swordale.
. By 1971 the population was less than a third of its 1841 peak recorded figure. The later years of the twentieth century saw a revival and the total number of residents grew by over 28 per cent in the thirty years to 2001.
The changing relationship between the residents and the land is evidenced by Robert Carruthers's remark circa 1852 that "There is now a village in Portree containing three hundred inhabitants". Even if this estimate is inexact the population of the island's largest settlement has probably increased sixfold since then. During the period the total number of island residents has declined by 50 per cent or more.
which had more than 75 per cent Gaelic speakers.
By the time of the 2001 census Kilmuir had 47 per cent Gaelic speakers, with Skye overall having an unevenly distributed 31 per cent. The strongest Gaelic speaking areas are located in the north and south-west of the island (Staffin
61 per cent, Tarskavaig
and Achnacloich
54 per cent,). The weakest areas are in the west and east (Galtrigill 18 per cent, Luib 23 per cent, Kylerhea
19 per cent). Other areas on Skye range between 48 per cent (Earlish) and 25 per cent (Kyleakin
).
, Skye forms part of the Highland Council area (Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd) based in Inverness
. From 1975 to 1996, Skye, along with the neighbouring mainland area of Lochalsh, constituted a local government
district within the Highland administrative area. In 1996 the district was included into the Highland Unitary Authority, and formed one of the new council's area committees. Following the 2007 elections
, Skye now forms a four-member ward called "Eilean a' Cheò"; it is currently represented by two independents
, one Scottish National Party
, and one Liberal Democrat
councillor.
Skye is in the Highlands electoral region
and comprises a part of the Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Scottish Parliament
constituency, which elects one member
under the first past the post basis to represent it. Currently this is David Thompson
for the SNP. In addition, Skye forms part of the wider Ross, Skye and Lochaber
UK Parliament constituency, which elects one member to the House of Commons
. The present Member of Parliament
is Charles Kennedy
MP for the Liberal Democrats, who is a former leader of the party and has represented the area since the 1983 general election
.
The largest employer on the island and its environs is the public sector, which accounts for about a third of the total workforce, principally in administration, education and health. The second largest employer in the area is the distribution, hotels and restaurants sector, highlighting the importance of tourism. Key attractions include Dunvegan Castle
, the Clan Donald Visitor Centre, and The Aros Experience in Portree. There are about a dozen large landowners on Skye, the largest again being the public sector, the Department of Agriculture owning most of the northern part of the island. However, small firms dominate employment in the private sector. The Talisker Distillery, which produces a single malt whisky
, manufactures beside Loch Harport on the west coast of the island. Three other whiskies--Mac na Mara ("son of the sea"), Tè Bheag nan Eilean ("wee dram of the isles") and Poit Dhubh ("black pot") are produced by blender Pràban na Linne (lit. "a smugglers den by the Sound
of Sleat"), based at Eilean Iarmain
. These are marketed using predominantly Gaelic-language labels. There is also an established software presence on Skye, with Portree-based Sitekit
having expanded in recent years.
Crofting
is still important, but although there are about 2,000 crofts on Skye only 100 or so are large enough to enable a crofter to earn a livelihood entirely from the land. Cod
and herring
stocks have declined but commercial fishing remains important, especially fish farming
of salmon and shellfish such as scampi
. The west coast of Scotland has a considerable renewable energy potential
and the Isle of Skye Renewables Co-op has recently bought a stake in the Ben Aketil wind farm near Dunvegan. The unemployment rate in the area tends to be higher than that for the Highlands as a whole, and is seasonal in nature. The population is growing and in common with many other scenic rural areas in Scotland, significant increases are expected in the percentage of the population aged 45 to 64 years.
, while ferries sail from Armadale
on the island to Mallaig
, and from Kylerhea
to Glenelg
. Ferries also run from Uig
to Tarbert
on Harris and Lochmaddy
on North Uist
, and from Sconser
to Raasay
.
The Skye Bridge
, linking Skye with the mainland of Scotland, opened in 1995 under a private finance initiative
. The high tolls
charged (£5.70 each way for summer visitors) met with widespread opposition, spearheaded by the pressure group SKAT (Skye and Kyle Against Tolls). On 21 December 2004 it was announced that the Scottish Executive had purchased the bridge from its owners and the tolls were immediately removed.
Bus services run to Inverness
and Glasgow
, and there are local services on the island, mainly starting from Portree or Broadford. Train services run from Kyle of Lochalsh
at the mainland end of the Skye Bridge
to Inverness, as well as from Glasgow to Mallaig
from where the ferry can be caught to Armadale. There is also a small aerodrome at Ashaig
near Broadford, which is used exclusively by private aircraft.
The A87
trunk road traverses the island from the Skye Bridge to Uig
, linking most of the major settlements. Many of the island's roads have been widened in the past forty years, but there are still substantial sections of single track road.
Students of Scottish Gaelic travel from all over the world to attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
, a Scottish Gaelic college based in Sleat.
In addition to members of the Church of Scotland
and a smaller number of Roman Catholics many residents of Skye belong to the Free Church of Scotland
, known for its strict observance of the Sabbath.
Shinty
is a highly popular sport played throughout the island and Portree-based Skye Camanachd
won the Camanachd Cup
in 1990.
tradition, although in recent years dance and rock music have been growing in popularity on the island. Gaelic folk rock
band Runrig
started in Skye and former singer Donnie Munro
still works on the island. Runrig's second single and a concert staple is titled "Skye", sung partly in English and partly in Gaelic and they have released other songs such as "Nightfall on Marsco" that were inspired by the island. Celtic fusion band the Peatbog Faeries
are based on Skye. Jethro Tull
singer Ian Anderson
owned an estate at Strathaird on Skye at one time. Several Tull songs are written about Skye, including Dun Ringil, Broadford Bazaar, and Acres Wild (which contains the lines "Come with me to the Winged Isle, / Northern father's western child" as a poetic reference to the island itself). The Isle of Skye Music Festival
featured sets from The Fun Lovin' Criminals
and Sparks
, but collapsed in 2007. Electronic music
ian Mylo
was born in Skye and frequently returns there to perform.
The poet Sorley MacLean
, a native of the Isle of Raasay which lies off the island's east coast, lived much of his life on Skye. The island has been immortalised in the traditional song "The Skye Boat Song
" and is the notional setting for the novel To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf
, although the Skye of the novel bears little relation to the real island. John Buchan descriptions of the island, as featured in his Richard Hannay
novel Mr Standfast, are more true to life.
Skye has been used as a location for a number of feature films. The Ashaig aerodrome was used for the opening scenes of the 1980 film Flash Gordon
. Stardust, released in 2007 and starring Robert De Niro
and Michelle Pfeiffer
, featured scenes shot as Eilean Iarmain and the Quiraing
. Another 2007 film, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle
, was shot almost entirely in various locations on the island. In 1973 The Highlands and Islands - a Royal Tour , a documentary about Prince Charles's visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by Oscar Marzaroli
, was shot partly on Skye.
The West Highland Free Press
is published at Broadford. This weekly newspaper takes as its motto "An Tìr, an Cànan 's na Daoine" ("The Land, the Language and the People") which reflects its radical, campaigning priorities. The Free Press was founded in 1972 and circulates in Skye, Wester Ross and the Outer Hebrides.
Similarly, Samuel Johnson noted that:
In the modern era avian life includes the Corncrake
, Red-throated Diver
, Rock Dove
, Kittiwake
, Tystie
, Atlantic Puffin
, Goldeneye
, Golden Eagle
and White-tailed Sea Eagle
. The Chough
last bred on the island in 1900. Mountain Hare
(apparently absent in the 18th century) and Rabbit
are now abundant and predated on by Wild Cat
and Pine Marten
. The rich fresh water streams contain Brown Trout
, Atlantic Salmon
and Water Shrew
. Offshore the Edible Crab
and Oyster
are also found, the latter especially in the Sound of Scalpay
. There are also nationally important Horse Mussel
and Brittlestar
beds in the sea lochs.
Heather moor containing Ling
, Bell Heather
, Cross-leaved Heath
, Bog Myrtle
and Fescue
s is everywhere abundant. The high Black Cuillins weather too slowly to produce a soil that sustains a rich plant life, but each of the main peninsulas has an individual flora. The basalt underpinnings of Trotternish produce a diversity of Arctic and alpine plants including Alpine Pearlwort
and Mossy Cyphal
. The low-lying fields of Waternish contain Corn Marigold
and Corn Spurrey
. The sea cliffs of Duirinish boast Mountain Avens
and Fir Clubmoss. Minginish produces Fairy Flax
, Cats-ear
and Black Bog Rush. There is a fine example of Brachypodium
-rich Ash
woodland at Tokavaig in Sleat incorporating Silver Birch
, Hazel
, Bird Cherry
, and Hawthorn
.
The local Biodiversity Action Plan recommends land management measures to control the spread of Ragwort and Bracken
and identifies four non-native, invasive species as threatening native biodiversity: Japanese Knotweed
, Rhododendron
, New Zealand Flatworm
and Mink
. It also identifies problems of over-grazing resulting in the impoverishment of moorland and upland habitats and a loss of native woodland, caused by the large numbers of Red Deer
and sheep.
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin
Cuillin
This article is about the Cuillin of Skye. See Rùm for the Cuillin of Rùm.The Cuillin are a range of rocky mountains located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills across Glen Sligachan...
hills. Although it has been suggested that the first of these Gaelic names describes a "winged" shape there is no definitive agreement as to the name's origins.
The island has been occupied since the mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period and has a colourful history including a time of Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
rule and a long period of domination by Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...
and Clan Donald. The events of the 19th century had a devastating impact on the human population, which declined from over 20,000 to around 9,200 in the early 21st century. Nonetheless, in contrast to many other Scottish islands, this represents a 4 per cent increase from the census of 1991. The main industries are tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, agriculture, fishing and whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
-distilling. The largest settlement is Portree
Portree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
, known for its picturesque harbour.
Skye is part of the Highland Council local government area and is now linked to the mainland by a road bridge
Skye Bridge
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting mainland Highland with the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It forms part of the A87. The bridge is located at around , with one pillar standing on the island of Eilean Bàn....
. The island is renowned for its spectacular scenery, vibrant culture and heritage, and its abundant wildlife including the Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
.
Etymology
Substratum
In linguistics, a stratum or strate is a language that influences, or is influenced by another through contact. A substratum is a language which has lower power or prestige than another, while a superstratum is the language that has higher power or prestige. Both substratum and superstratum...
language and simply opaque.
For example, writing in 1549, Donald Munro
Donald Monro (Dean)
Donald Monro was a Scottish clergyman, who wrote an early and historically valuable description of the Hebrides and other Scottish islands and enjoyed the honorific title of “Dean of the Isles”.-Origins:...
, High Dean of the Isles wrote: "This Ile is callit Ellan Skiannach in Irish, that is to say in Inglish the wyngit Ile, be reason it has mony wyngis and pointis lyand furth fra it, throw the dividing of thir foirsaid Lochis".
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
sources refer to the Scitis (see the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
) and Scetis can be found on a map by Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. A possible derivation from *skitis
Asterisk
An asterisk is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often pronounce it as star...
, an early Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic word for "winged", which may describe the island's peninsulas that radiate out from a mountainous centre, has also been suggested.
In the Norse sagas Skye is called Skíð, for example in the Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar is an Old Norse kings' saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway. The saga was written by the Icelandic historian and chieftain Sturla Þórðarson, in the 1260s...
saga and a skaldic poem in the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
from c. 1230 which contains a line that translates as "the hunger battle-birds were filled in Skye with blood of foemen killed". According to other authors, it was referred to in Norse as skuy (misty isle), *skýey or skuyö (isle of cloud). It is not certain whether the Gaelic poetic name for the island, Eilean a' Cheò "isle of the mist" precedes or postdates the Norse name. Some legends also associate the isle with the mythic figure of Queen Scáthach
Scáthach
Scáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
.
| Pronunciation | |
|---|---|
| Scots Gaelic: | An t-Eilean Sgitheanach |
| Pronunciation: | əɲ tʰʲelan s̪kʲiə.anəx |
| Scots Gaelic: | Am Binnean Dearg |
| Pronunciation: | əm ˈpiɲan ˈtʲɛɾak |
| Scots Gaelic: | An Corran |
| Pronunciation: | əŋ ˈkʰɔrˠan |
| Scots Gaelic: | An Cuan Sgìth |
| Pronunciation: | ən̪ˠ ˈkʰuən s̪kʲiː |
| Scots Gaelic: | An Tìr, an Cànan ’s na Daoine |
| Pronunciation: | ən̪ˠ ˈtʲʰiːɾʲ əŋ ˈkʰanan s̪nə ˈtɯːɲə |
| Scots Gaelic: | Eilean a’ Cheò |
| Pronunciation: |ˈelan ə ˈçɔː |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Loch na h-Àirde |
| Pronunciation: |ˈlˠ̪ɔx nə ˈhaːrˠtʲə |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Mac na Mara |
| Pronunciation: |ˈmaxk nə ˈmaɾə |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Poit Dhubh |
| Pronunciation: |ˈpʰɔhtʲ ˈɣu |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Pràban na Linne |
| Pronunciation: |ˈpʰɾaːpan nə ˈʎiɲə |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Tè Bheag nan Eilean |
| Pronunciation: | tʰʲeˈvek nə ˈɲelan |
| Scots Gaelic: | sgiathan |
| Pronunciation: |ˈs̪kʲiəhən |
|
| Scots Gaelic: | Sgitheanach |
| Pronunciation: |ˈs̪kʲi.ənəx |
|
In April 2007 it was reported in the media that the island's official name had been changed by the Highland Council
Politics of the Highland council area
Politics of the Highland council area in Scotland are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the Highland Council, in elections to the council, and in elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Scottish Parliament...
to Eilean a' Cheò. However, the Council clarified that this name referred only to one of its 22 wards in the then impending election, and that there were no plans to change signage or discontinue the English name.
Geography
At 1656 square kilometres (639.4 sq mi), Skye is the second-largest island in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
after Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris
Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides make up the largest island in Scotland. This is the largest single island of the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland.-Geography:...
. The coastline of Skye is a series of peninsulas and bays radiating out from a centre dominated by the Cuillin (Gaelic:An Cuiltheann) hills. The main peninsulas include Trotternish
Trotternish
Trotternish or Tròndairnis is the northernmost peninsula of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland.One of its more well-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some...
in the north, Waternish
Waternish
Waternish or Bhatairnis/Vaternish is a peninsula approximately long on the island of Skye, Scotland, situated between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort in the northwest of the island, and traditionally inhabited and owned by Clan MacLeod whose clan seat is at the nearby Dunvegan Castle. The current...
, Duirinish
Duirinish, Skye
Duirinish is a peninsula on the island of Skye in Scotland. It is situated in the north west between Loch Dunvegan and Loch Bracadale.Skye's shape defies description and W. H. Murray wrote that "Skye is sixty miles long, but what might be its breadth is beyond the ingenuity of man to state"...
, Minginish
Minginish
Minginish is a peninsula on the island of Skye in Scotland. It is situated in south central Skye, between Loch Scavaig and Glen Drynoch in the west and Loch Harport and Glen Sligachan in the south and east. It includes most of the peaks of the Cuillin hills including Sgurr Alasdair, the highest...
and Strathaird
Strathaird
Strathaird is a peninsula on the island of Skye, Scotland, situated between Loch Slapin and Loch Scavaig on the south coast.Skye's shape defies description and W. H. Murray said that "Skye is sixty miles long, but what might be its breadth is beyond the ingenuity of man to state". Strathaird is...
to the west and Sleat
Sleat
Sleat is a peninsula on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan MacDonald of Sleat...
in the south. Surrounding islands include Isay
Isay
Isay is an uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides of the west coast of Scotland. It lies in Loch Dunvegan, off the northwest coast of the Isle of Skye. Two smaller isles of Mingay and Clett lie nearby. The name originated from the Old Norse ise-øy meaning porpoise island...
, Longay
Longay
Longay In 1971, the MacBraynes mailboat Loch Seaforth ran aground on the island, sustaining only minimal damage.-References:...
, Pabay
Pabay
Pabay is a Scottish island just off the coast of the Skye.-Geography:Pabay is an island in the Inner Sound of Skye, north of Broadford. It lies south of Longay and east of the larger Scalpay....
, Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
, Rona
South Rona
Rona , sometimes called South Rona to distinguish it from North Rona, is a small island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, north of Raasay and northeast of Skye. It has a total area of .-Geography and geology:...
, Scalpay
Scalpay, Inner Hebrides
Scalpay is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.Separated from the east coast of Skye by Loch na Cairidh, Scalpay rises to at Mullach na Càrn. It has an area of almost ten sq. miles....
, Soay and Wiay
Wiay, Skye
Wiay is an uninhabited island in Loch Bracadale in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.Wiay lies west of the Isle of Skye, off the Skye coast, near the village of Ullinish. It is the largest island in Loch Bracadale, with an area of...
. Malcolm Slesser suggested that its shape "sticks out of the west coast of northern Scotland like a lobster's claw ready to snap at the fish bone of Harris and Lewis" and W. H. Murray that "Skye is sixty miles long, but what might be its breadth is beyond the ingenuity of man to state".
Martin Martin
Martin Martin was a Scottish writer best known for his work A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland . This book is particularly noted for its information on the St Kilda archipelago...
visited the island and reported on it at length in a 1703 publication. His geological observations included a note that:
The Black Cuillin, which are mainly composed of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
and gabbro
Gabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
, include 12 Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s and provide some of the most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain in Scotland. The ascent of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh
Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh
Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh is the highest summit on the northern half of the Black Cuillin ridge. Like the rest of the range it is composed of gabbro, a rock with excellent grip for mountaineering.This is one of the trickier main Black Cuillin peaks to ascend...
is one of the longest rock climbs in Britain and the Inaccessible Pinnacle
Inaccessible Pinnacle
Sgurr Dearg is a mountain in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It is topped by the Inaccessible Pinnacle , a fin of rock measuring 150 feet along its longest edge...
is the only peak in Scotland that requires technical climbing skills to reach the summit. A full traverse of the Cuillin ridge may take 15–20 hours to complete. The Red Hills (Gaelic: Am Binnean Dearg) to the south are sometimes also known as the Red Cuillin. They are mainly composed of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
that has weathered into more rounded hills with many long screes slopes on their flanks. The highest point of these hills is Glamaig
Glamaig
Glamaig is the northernmost of the Red Hills on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It lies immediately east of Sligachan. It is one of only two Corbetts on Skye....
, one of only two Corbetts on Skye.
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
-like patterns in the 105 metre (350 ft) cliffs. The Quirang is a spectacular series of rock pinnacles on the eastern side of the main spine of the peninsula and further south is the rock pillar of the Old Man of Storr
The Storr
The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.-Geology:...
.
Beyond Loch Snizort
Loch Snizort
Loch Snizort is a sea loch in the northwest of the Isle of Skye between the Waternish and Trotternish peninsulas. It is fed by the River Snizort, originating in the hills east of Bracadale. The mouth of Loch Snizort gives access to the lower Minch and contains the Ascrib Islands.Sea fishing in...
to the west of Trotternish is the Waternish peninsula, which ends in Ardmore Point's double rock arch. Duirinish is separated from Waternish by Loch Dunvegan. It is ringed by sea cliffs which reach 295 metres (967 ft) at Waterstein Head. Oolitic
Oolite
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm; rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites...
loam provides good arable land in the main strath
Strath
A strath is a large valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow .An anglicisation of the Gaelic word srath, it is one of many that have been absorbed into common use in the English language...
. Lochs Bracadale and Harport lie between Duirinish and Minginish which includes the narrow valleys of Talisker
Talisker, Skye
Talisker is a settlement on the Minginish peninsula in the Isle of Skye.-History:Talisker was for centuries a possession of the Clan Macleod. For nearly two hundred years it was associated with a cadet branch of the chiefly line, founded by Sir Roderick Macleod, 1st of Talisker...
and Glen Brittle and whose beaches are formed from black basaltic sands. Strathaird is a relatively small peninsula close to the Cuillin hills with several small crofting
Croft (land)
A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.- Etymology :...
communities. The bedrock of Sleat is Torridonian sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
which produces poor soils and boggy ground, although its lower elevations and relatively sheltered eastern shores produces a lush growth of hedgerows and crops.
Climate
The influence of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
create a mild oceanic climate. Temperatures are generally cool, averaging 6.5 °C (44 °F) in January and 15.4 °C (60 °F) in July at Duntulm in Trotternish. Snow seldom lies at sea level and frosts are fewer than the mainland. Winds are a limiting factor for vegetation with speeds of 128 km/h (80 mph) being recorded and south-westerlies the most common. High winds are especially likely on the exposed coasts of Trotternish and Waternish. In common with most islands of the west coast of Scotland, rainfall is generally high at between 1500–2000 mm (60–80 in) per annum and the elevated Cuillin are wetter still. Variations can be considerable, with the north tending to be drier than the south. Broadford
Broadford, Skye
Broadford , together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lying on the SW corner of Broadford Bay, on the A87 between Portree and the Skye Bridge....
, for example, averages more than 2,870 mm (113 inches) per annum. Trotternish typically has 200 hours of bright sunshine in May, the sunniest month.
Towns and villages
PortreePortree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
in the north at the base of Trotternish is the largest settlement, and main service centre on the island, with a population of 1,960. Broadford is on the east side of the island and Dunvegan
Dunvegan
Dunvegan is a town on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod...
in the north-west. Kyleakin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
is linked to Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
on the mainland by the Skye Bridge that spans the narrows of Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh or Lochalsh is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to described the surrounding country and the feudal holdings around the loch...
. Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
is on the west of the Trotternish peninsula and Edinbane
Edinbane
Edinbane is a small village on the island of Skye, Scotland.-Location:Edinbane lies on the A850 road at the foot of the Waternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, 14 miles from Portree and 8 miles from Dunvegan...
is located between Dunvegan and Portree.
Prehistory
A MesolithicMesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
hunter-gatherer site dating to the 7th millennium BC at An Corran in Staffin
Staffin
Staffin is a village , lying at the head of Staffin Bay on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree. Nearby is the rock formation of the Quirang and Staffin Island lies just offshore...
is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Scotland. Its occupation is probably linked to that of the rock shelter at Sand, Applecross
Sand, Applecross
Sand on the Applecross Peninsula in Wester Ross, Scotland is a major archaeological site.Sand is the site of a major archaeological excavation on the Inner Sound coast of the Applecross Peninsula in Western Scotland, to the north of the small town of Applecross.A small number of shell middens were...
on the mainland coast of Wester Ross
Ross and Cromarty
Ross and Cromarty is a variously defined area in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. There is a registration county and a lieutenancy area in current use...
. Surveys of the area between the two shores of the Inner Sound
Inner Sound, Scotland
The Inner Sound is a strait separating the Inner Hebridean islands of Skye, Raasay and South Rona from the Applecross peninsula on the Scottish mainland....
and Sound of Raasay have revealed thirty three sites with potentially Mesolithic deposits. Finds of bloodstone
Heliotrope (mineral)
The mineral heliotrope, also known as bloodstone, is a form of chalcedony . The "classic" bloodstone is green chalcedony with red inclusions of iron oxide or red jasper...
microlith
Microlith
A microlith is a small stone tool usually made of flint or chert and typically a centimetre or so in length and half a centimetre wide. It is produced from either a small blade or a larger blade-like piece of flint by abrupt or truncated retouching, which leaves a very typical piece of waste,...
s on the foreshore at Orbost on the west coast of the island near Dunvegan also suggest Mesolithic occupation of the area. These tools probably originate from the nearby island of Rùm
Rùm
Rùm , a Scottish Gaelic name often anglicised to Rum) is one of the Small Isles of the Inner Hebrides, in the district of Lochaber, Scotland...
.
Rubha an Dùnain
Rubha an Dùnain
Rubha an Dùnain or Rubh' an Dùnain is an uninhabited peninsula to the south of the Cuillin hills on the island of Skye in Scotland. This headland rises to over above sea level. Loch na h-Airde is a body of freshwater that is situated to the east of the peninsula close to the sea shore...
, an uninhabited peninsula to the south of the Cuillin
Cuillin
This article is about the Cuillin of Skye. See Rùm for the Cuillin of Rùm.The Cuillin are a range of rocky mountains located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The true Cuillin are also known as the Black Cuillin to distinguish them from the Red Hills across Glen Sligachan...
, has a variety of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
onwards. Loch na h-Airde, which is situated close to the ruins of a promontory fort, is linked to the sea by the artificial "Viking canal" and there are remains of prehistoric settlement dating from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages nearby. Dun Ringill
Dun Ringill
Dun Ringill is an Iron Age hill fort on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Further fortified in the Middle Ages, tradition holds that it was for several centuries the seat of Clan MacKinnon...
is a ruined Iron Age hill fort on the Strathaird peninsula, which was further fortified in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and may have become the seat of Clan MacKinnon
Clan MacKinnon
Clan Mackinnon or Clan Fingon is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the islands of Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides.Popular tradition gives the clan a Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th century historian W. F. Skene named the clan as one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin - who according to...
.
Early history
Adomnán's life of ColumbaColumba
Saint Columba —also known as Colum Cille , Colm Cille , Calum Cille and Kolban or Kolbjørn —was a Gaelic Irish missionary monk who propagated Christianity among the Picts during the Early Medieval Period...
, written shortly before 697, portrays the saint visiting Skye and Adomnán himself is thought to have been familiar with the island. The Irish annals
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century.Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days...
record a number of events on Skye in the later 7th and early 8th centuries, mainly concerning the struggle between rival dynasties which formed the background to the Old Irish language
Old Irish language
Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Goidelic languages for which extensive written texts are extant. It was used from the 6th to the 10th centuries, by which time it had developed into Middle Irish....
romance Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin
Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin
The Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin is an Old Irish prose tale of the ninth century or later. It forms part of the Cycles of the Kings.It deals with the exile and return of Cano mac Gartnáin in sixth century Scotland...
.
The Norse held sway throughout the Hebrides from the 9th century until after the Treaty of Perth
Treaty of Perth
The Treaty of Perth, 1266, ended military conflict between Norway, under King Magnus VI of Norway, and Scotland, under King Alexander III, over the sovereignty of the Hebrides and the Isle of Man....
in 1266. However, little remains of their presence in the written or archeological record on Skye. Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
heritage is nonetheless claimed by Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod
Clan MacLeod is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the Isle of Skye. There are two main branches of the clan: the Macleods of Harris and Dunvegan, whose chief is Macleod of Macleod, are known in Gaelic as Sìol Tormoid ; the Macleods of Lewis, whose chief is Macleod of The Lewes, are known in...
and Norse tradition is celebrated in the winter fire festival at Dunvegan, during which a replica Viking long boat is set alight.
Clans and Scottish rule
Lord of the Isles
The designation Lord of the Isles is today a title of Scottish nobility with historical roots that go back beyond the Kingdom of Scotland. It emerged from a series of hybrid Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages, who wielded sea-power with fleets of...
, the Mackinnons also emerged as an independent clan, whose substantial landholdings in Skye were centred on Strathaird. In the 16th century, many of the MacInnes clan moved to Sleat. The MacDonalds of South Uist
South Uist
South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
were bitter rivals of the MacLeods, and an attempt by the former to murder church-goers at Trumpan
Trumpan
Trumpan is a hamlet located on the Vaternish peninsula in the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Trumpan church, which is now a ruin, was the focus of a particularly brutal incident in 1578, when the Clan MacDonald of Uist travelled to Trumpan in eight boats and under...
in retaliation for a previous massacre on Eigg
Eigg
Eigg is one of the Small Isles, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an area of , it is the second largest of the Small Isles after Rùm.-Geography:The main...
, resulted in the Battle of the Spoiling Dyke
Battle of the Spoiling Dyke
The Battle of the Spoiling Dyke was a Scottish clan battle that took place in 1578, fought in the Scottish Highlands, between the MacDonalds of Uist and the Clan MacLeod.The MacDonalds of Uist barred the doors of Trumpan Church, or Kilconan Church as it was once known, east...
of 1578.
After the failure of the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
rebellion of 1745, Flora MacDonald became famous for rescuing Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
from the Hanoverian
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
troops. Although she was born on South Uist her story is strongly associated with their escape via Skye and she is buried at Kilmuir in Trotternish. Skye was visited by Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
and James Boswell
James Boswell
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson....
during their 1773 Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland is a travel narrative by Samuel Johnson about an eighty-three day journey through Scotland, in particular the islands of the Hebrides, in the late summer and autumn of 1773...
. Boswell wrote of their visit to Kilmuir that, "To see Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great champion of the English Tories, salute Miss Flora MacDonald in the isle of Sky, was a striking sight; for though somewhat congenial in their notions, it was very improbable they should meet here. Written on her gravestone are Johnson's words that hers was "A name that will be mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour". In the wake of the rebellion the clan system was broken up and Skye became a series of landed estates.
Of the island in general, Johnson observed:
Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the...
has been the seat of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century. It contains the Fairy Flag
Fairy Flag
The Fairy Flag is an heirloom of the chiefs of Clan MacLeod. It is held in Dunvegan Castle along with other notable heirlooms, such as the Dunvegan Cup and Sir Rory Mor's Horn. The Fairy Flag is known for the numerous traditions of fairies, and magical properties associated with it...
and is reputed to have been inhabited by a single family for longer than any other house in Scotland.
The 18th century Armadale Castle
Armadale Castle
Armadale Castle is a ruined country house in Armadale, Isle of Skye, former home of the MacDonalds. A mansion house was first built here around 1790. In 1815 a Scottish baronial style mock-castle, intended for show rather than defense, designed by James Gillespie Graham, was built next to the house...
, once home of Clan Donald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
of Sleat
Sleat
Sleat is a peninsula on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan MacDonald of Sleat...
was abandoned as a residence in 1925 but now hosts the Clan Donald Centre. Nearby are the ruins of two more MacDonald strongholds, Knock Castle, and Dunscaith Castle
Dunscaith Castle
Dunscaith Castle also known as Dun Sgathaich Castle, Dun Scaich, and Tokavaig, is a ruined castle on the coast of the Isle of Skye, in the north-west of Scotland. It is located in the Parish of Sleat, in the Highland council area, and in the former county of Inverness-shire, at .-History:The castle...
, the legendary home of Queen Scáthach. Caisteal Maol
Caisteal Maol
Caisteal Maol is a ruined castle located near the harbour of the village of Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, Scotland...
, built in the late 15th century near Kyleakin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
and once a seat of Clan MacKinnon
Clan MacKinnon
Clan Mackinnon or Clan Fingon is a Highland Scottish clan associated with the islands of Mull and Skye, in the Inner Hebrides.Popular tradition gives the clan a Dalriadic Gaelic origin. The 19th century historian W. F. Skene named the clan as one of the seven clans of Siol Alpin - who according to...
, is another ruin.
Clearances
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. The "Battle of the Braes
Camastianavaig
Camastianavaig is a crofting township on the island of Skye in Scotland. It is located on the shores of the Sound of Raasay south east of Portree. The Allt Osglan watercourse flows from Loch Fada through the township into Tianavaig Bay.The name is from both Gaelic and Norse, Camas Dìonabhaig...
" involved a demonstration against a lack of access to land and the serving of eviction notices. The incident involved numerous crofters and about 50 police officers. This event was instrumental in the creation of the Napier Commission
Napier Commission
The Napier Commission, officially the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Condition of Crofters and Cottars in the Highlands and Islands was a royal commission and public inquiry into the condition of crofters and cottars in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.The commission was appointed in...
, which reported in 1884 on the situation in the Highlands. Disturbances continued until the passing of the 1886 Crofters' Act
Crofters' Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886
The Crofters' Holdings Act, 1886 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created legal definitions of crofting parish and crofter, granted security of tenure to crofters and produced the first Crofters Commission, a land court which ruled on disputes between landlords and crofters...
and on one occasion 400 marines were deployed on Skye to maintain order. The Clearances had a major impact on the population of Skye and the ruins of a cleared village can be seen at Boreraig
Boreraig
Boreraig is a deserted township in Strath Swordale on the north shore of Loch Eishort in the parish of Strath, Isle of Skye, Scotland.-History:...
, Strath Swordale.
Overview of population trends
In common with many Scottish islands, Skye's population peaked in the 19th century and experienced a significant decline since then in the wake of both the Clearances and then later the military losses of the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By 1971 the population was less than a third of its 1841 peak recorded figure. The later years of the twentieth century saw a revival and the total number of residents grew by over 28 per cent in the thirty years to 2001.
Gaelic
Skye has historically been a very strong Gaelic speaking area. Both in the 1901 and 1921 census, all parishes in Skye were reported to be over 75 per cent Gaelic speaking. By 1971, only the Kilmuir parish still had more than 75 per cent Gaelic speakers, the rest of Skye ranged between 50-74 per cent. At the time, this made Kilmuir the only area outside the Western IslesOuter Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
which had more than 75 per cent Gaelic speakers.
By the time of the 2001 census Kilmuir had 47 per cent Gaelic speakers, with Skye overall having an unevenly distributed 31 per cent. The strongest Gaelic speaking areas are located in the north and south-west of the island (Staffin
Staffin
Staffin is a village , lying at the head of Staffin Bay on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree. Nearby is the rock formation of the Quirang and Staffin Island lies just offshore...
61 per cent, Tarskavaig
Tarskavaig
Tarskavaig is a crofting village on the West coast of Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It sits in a glen which meets Tarskavaig Bay and lies opposite the Isles of Eigg, Rum and Canna....
and Achnacloich
Tarskavaig
Tarskavaig is a crofting village on the West coast of Sleat on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It sits in a glen which meets Tarskavaig Bay and lies opposite the Isles of Eigg, Rum and Canna....
54 per cent,). The weakest areas are in the west and east (Galtrigill 18 per cent, Luib 23 per cent, Kylerhea
Kylerhea
Kylerhea is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands, overlooking Kyle Rhea, a strait splitting Skye from the Scottish mainland. A ferry service has linked Kylerhea with Glenelg on the mainland for centuries. The first car ferry was introduced in 1935, with a...
19 per cent). Other areas on Skye range between 48 per cent (Earlish) and 25 per cent (Kyleakin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
).
Government and politics
In terms of local governmentLocal government of Scotland
Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas....
, Skye forms part of the Highland Council area (Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd) based in Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. From 1975 to 1996, Skye, along with the neighbouring mainland area of Lochalsh, constituted a local government
Local government of Scotland
Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas....
district within the Highland administrative area. In 1996 the district was included into the Highland Unitary Authority, and formed one of the new council's area committees. Following the 2007 elections
Scottish local elections, 2007
The Scottish local elections, 2007 were held on 3 May 2007, the same day as Scottish Parliament elections and local elections in parts of England...
, Skye now forms a four-member ward called "Eilean a' Cheò"; it is currently represented by two independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, one Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, and one Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
councillor.
Skye is in the Highlands electoral region
Highlands and Islands (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
The Highlands and Islands is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Eight of the parliament's first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament .The...
and comprises a part of the Ross, Skye and Inverness West
Ross, Skye and Inverness West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Ross, Skye and Inverness West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the first past the post method of election...
Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
constituency, which elects one member
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
under the first past the post basis to represent it. Currently this is David Thompson
David Thompson (Scottish politician)
Dave Thompson is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish National Party , he was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent Highlands and Islands at the 2007 election...
for the SNP. In addition, Skye forms part of the wider Ross, Skye and Lochaber
Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency)
Ross, Skye and Lochaber is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
UK Parliament constituency, which elects one member to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. The present Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Charles Kennedy
Charles Kennedy
Charles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
MP for the Liberal Democrats, who is a former leader of the party and has represented the area since the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
.
Economy
Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle is a castle a mile and a half to the North of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, situated off the west coast of Scotland. It is the seat of the MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the Clan MacLeod. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the...
, the Clan Donald Visitor Centre, and The Aros Experience in Portree. There are about a dozen large landowners on Skye, the largest again being the public sector, the Department of Agriculture owning most of the northern part of the island. However, small firms dominate employment in the private sector. The Talisker Distillery, which produces a single malt whisky
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
, manufactures beside Loch Harport on the west coast of the island. Three other whiskies--Mac na Mara ("son of the sea"), Tè Bheag nan Eilean ("wee dram of the isles") and Poit Dhubh ("black pot") are produced by blender Pràban na Linne (lit. "a smugglers den by the Sound
Sound (geography)
In geography a sound or seaway is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than a bay, deeper than a bight and wider than a fjord; or it may be defined as a narrow sea or ocean channel between two bodies of land ....
of Sleat"), based at Eilean Iarmain
Isleornsay
Isleornsay is a village lying off the main Armadale to Sleat road on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It overlooks, but is not upon, the island of Ornsay. The island itself shelters one of the best natural harbours in southern Skye...
. These are marketed using predominantly Gaelic-language labels. There is also an established software presence on Skye, with Portree-based Sitekit
Sitekit
Sitekit CMS is a web content management system developed by Sitekit Solutions Ltd, a software vendor producing non-technical web based tools on the .NET platform.- History :...
having expanded in recent years.
Crofting
Crofting
Crofting is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production unique to the Scottish Highlands, the Islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man....
is still important, but although there are about 2,000 crofts on Skye only 100 or so are large enough to enable a crofter to earn a livelihood entirely from the land. Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
stocks have declined but commercial fishing remains important, especially fish farming
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
of salmon and shellfish such as scampi
Norway lobster
Nephrops norvegicus, known variously as the Norway lobster, Dublin Bay prawn, or scampi, is a slim, orange-pink lobster which grows up to long, and is "the most important commercial crustacean in Europe"...
. The west coast of Scotland has a considerable renewable energy potential
Renewable energy in Scotland
The production of renewable energy in Scotland is an issue that has come to the fore in technical, economic, and political terms during the opening years of the 21st century. The natural resource base for renewables is extraordinary by European, and even global standards...
and the Isle of Skye Renewables Co-op has recently bought a stake in the Ben Aketil wind farm near Dunvegan. The unemployment rate in the area tends to be higher than that for the Highlands as a whole, and is seasonal in nature. The population is growing and in common with many other scenic rural areas in Scotland, significant increases are expected in the percentage of the population aged 45 to 64 years.
Transport
Skye is linked to the mainland by the Skye BridgeSkye Bridge
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting mainland Highland with the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It forms part of the A87. The bridge is located at around , with one pillar standing on the island of Eilean Bàn....
, while ferries sail from Armadale
Armadale, Isle of Skye
Armadale is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Like most of Sleat, but unlike most of Skye, the area is fairly fertile, and though there are hills, most do not reach a great height...
on the island to Mallaig
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
, and from Kylerhea
Kylerhea
Kylerhea is a village on the east coast of the Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands, overlooking Kyle Rhea, a strait splitting Skye from the Scottish mainland. A ferry service has linked Kylerhea with Glenelg on the mainland for centuries. The first car ferry was introduced in 1935, with a...
to Glenelg
Glenelg, Scotland
-Geography:Glenelg is located by the Kyle Rhea narrows, where Skye is closest to the mainland. Road access is by the 339m Bealach Ratagain from Shiel Bridge, on the main Inverness to Skye road....
. Ferries also run from Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
to Tarbert
Tarbert, Harris
Tarbert is the main community on Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland. It is also a car ferry terminal to Uig on Skye. Its name means "isthmus".-1990 RAF air crash:...
on Harris and Lochmaddy
Lochmaddy
Lochmaddy is the administrative centre of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland...
on North Uist
North Uist
North Uist is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.-Geography:North Uist is the tenth largest Scottish island and the thirteenth largest island surrounding Great Britain. It has an area of , slightly smaller than South Uist. North Uist is connected by causeways to Benbecula...
, and from Sconser
Sconser
Sconser is a small crofting township on the island of Skye, in Scotland, situated on the south shore of Loch Sligachan. The main A87 road of Skye passes through Sconser and the ferry to Raasay departs from the pier....
to Raasay
Raasay
Raasay is an island between the Isle of Skye and the mainland of Scotland. It is separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay and from Applecross by the Inner Sound. It is most famous for being the birthplace of the poet Sorley MacLean, an important figure in the Scottish literary renaissance...
.
Skye Bridge
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting mainland Highland with the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It forms part of the A87. The bridge is located at around , with one pillar standing on the island of Eilean Bàn....
, linking Skye with the mainland of Scotland, opened in 1995 under a private finance initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
. The high tolls
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
charged (£5.70 each way for summer visitors) met with widespread opposition, spearheaded by the pressure group SKAT (Skye and Kyle Against Tolls). On 21 December 2004 it was announced that the Scottish Executive had purchased the bridge from its owners and the tolls were immediately removed.
Bus services run to Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and there are local services on the island, mainly starting from Portree or Broadford. Train services run from Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
at the mainland end of the Skye Bridge
Skye Bridge
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting mainland Highland with the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It forms part of the A87. The bridge is located at around , with one pillar standing on the island of Eilean Bàn....
to Inverness, as well as from Glasgow to Mallaig
Mallaig
Mallaig ; is a port in Lochaber, on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland. The local railway station, Mallaig, is the terminus of the West Highland railway line , completed in 1901, and the town is linked to Fort William by the A830 road – the "Road to the Isles".The village of Mallaig...
from where the ferry can be caught to Armadale. There is also a small aerodrome at Ashaig
Ashaig
Ashaig is a hamlet, situated adjacent to Upper Breakish and Lower Breakish near Broadford on the island of Skye, Scotland. For administrative purposes, it lies in the Highland Council area.-Airfield:...
near Broadford, which is used exclusively by private aircraft.
The A87
A87 road
The A87 is a major road in the Highland region of Scotland.It runs west from its junction with the A82 road at Invergarry , along the north shores of Loch Garry and Loch Cluanie, then down through Glen Shiel and along Loch Duich to Kyle of Lochalsh before crossing the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin,...
trunk road traverses the island from the Skye Bridge to Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
, linking most of the major settlements. Many of the island's roads have been widened in the past forty years, but there are still substantial sections of single track road.
Culture
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is a Scottish Gaelic medium college located about north of Armadale on the Sleat peninsula of the island of Skye in northwestern Scotland. It is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands and also has a campus on Islay known as Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle.The college was...
, a Scottish Gaelic college based in Sleat.
In addition to members of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
and a smaller number of Roman Catholics many residents of Skye belong to the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)
Free Church of Scotland is that part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside of the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900...
, known for its strict observance of the Sabbath.
Shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
is a highly popular sport played throughout the island and Portree-based Skye Camanachd
Skye Camanachd
Skye Camanachd is a shinty team from the Isle of Skye, Highland, Scotland. It plays in North Division One and has a reserve team in North Division Two. The club is based at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.-Early history:...
won the Camanachd Cup
Camanachd Cup
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup AKA the Camanachd Cup or Scottish Cup is the premier prize in the sport of shinty...
in 1990.
Media and the arts
Skye has a strong folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
tradition, although in recent years dance and rock music have been growing in popularity on the island. Gaelic folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band Runrig
Runrig
Runrig are a Scottish Celtic rock group formed in Skye, in 1973 under the name 'The Run Rig Dance Band'. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The current line-up also includes longtime members Malcolm Jones, Iain Bayne, and more...
started in Skye and former singer Donnie Munro
Donnie Munro
Donnie Munro is a Scottish musician, and former lead singer of the band Runrig.A native speaker of Scottish Gaelic, much of his work is in that language.-Early life:...
still works on the island. Runrig's second single and a concert staple is titled "Skye", sung partly in English and partly in Gaelic and they have released other songs such as "Nightfall on Marsco" that were inspired by the island. Celtic fusion band the Peatbog Faeries
Peatbog Faeries
The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...
are based on Skye. Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
singer Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson (musician)
Ian Scott Anderson, MBE is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work as the leader and flautist of British rock band Jethro Tull.-Early life:...
owned an estate at Strathaird on Skye at one time. Several Tull songs are written about Skye, including Dun Ringil, Broadford Bazaar, and Acres Wild (which contains the lines "Come with me to the Winged Isle, / Northern father's western child" as a poetic reference to the island itself). The Isle of Skye Music Festival
Isle of Skye Music Festival
The Isle of Skye Music Festival was an annual music festival that took place on the Ashaig Airstrip near Broadford on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It was one of the earliest festivals in the year, occurring in late May or June, a time known on the Island to be the driest in the year...
featured sets from The Fun Lovin' Criminals
Fun Lovin' Criminals
The Fun Lovin' Criminals is an American alternative hip hop / alternative rock group from New York City. Their musical style is primarily eclectic, covering styles such as hip hop, rock, funk, blues and jazz. Their songs often deal with life in New York City, as well as urban life in general...
and Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
, but collapsed in 2007. Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ian Mylo
Mylo
Myles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
was born in Skye and frequently returns there to perform.
Sorley MacLean
Sorley MacLean was one of the most significant Scottish poets of the 20th century.-Early life:He was born at Osgaig on the island of Raasay on 26 October 1911, where Scottish Gaelic was the first language. He attended the University of Edinburgh and was an avid shinty player playing for the...
, a native of the Isle of Raasay which lies off the island's east coast, lived much of his life on Skye. The island has been immortalised in the traditional song "The Skye Boat Song
The Skye Boat Song
"The Skye Boat Song" is a Scottish folk song, which can also be played as a waltz, recalling the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Charles escaped in a small boat, with the aid of Flora MacDonald, disguised as a...
" and is the notional setting for the novel To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse is a novel by Virginia Woolf. A novel set on the Ramsays and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920, it skilfully manipulates temporal and psychological elements....
by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
, although the Skye of the novel bears little relation to the real island. John Buchan descriptions of the island, as featured in his Richard Hannay
Richard Hannay
Major-General Sir Richard Hannay, KCB, OBE, DSO, Legion of Honour, is a fictional secret agent created by Scottish novelist John Buchan. In his autobiography, Memory Hold-the-Door, Buchan suggests that the character is based, in part, on Edmund Ironside, from Edinburgh, a spy during the Second Boer...
novel Mr Standfast, are more true to life.
Skye has been used as a location for a number of feature films. The Ashaig aerodrome was used for the opening scenes of the 1980 film Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon (film)
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
. Stardust, released in 2007 and starring Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
and Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
, featured scenes shot as Eilean Iarmain and the Quiraing
Quiraing
The Quiraing is a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips; the Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving, the road at...
. Another 2007 film, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle
Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle
Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle is a 2007 Scottish Gaelic feature film by first-time director, Simon Miller from a story by Simon Miller and Joanne Cockwell...
, was shot almost entirely in various locations on the island. In 1973 The Highlands and Islands - a Royal Tour , a documentary about Prince Charles's visit to the Highlands and Islands, directed by Oscar Marzaroli
Oscar Marzaroli
Oscar Marzaroli was an Italian-born Scottish photographer of post-World War II urban Scotland. He was born in Castiglione in northwest Italy and came to Scotland with his family at the age of two....
, was shot partly on Skye.
The West Highland Free Press
West Highland Free Press
The West Highland Free Press was founded in the Scottish Highlands in 1972 as a left-wing weekly newspaper, but with the principal objective of providing its immediate circulation area with the service which a local paper is expected to provide...
is published at Broadford. This weekly newspaper takes as its motto "An Tìr, an Cànan 's na Daoine" ("The Land, the Language and the People") which reflects its radical, campaigning priorities. The Free Press was founded in 1972 and circulates in Skye, Wester Ross and the Outer Hebrides.
Wildlife
The Hebrides generally lack biodiversity in comparison to mainland Britain, but like most of the larger islands Skye has much to offer the naturalist. Observing the abundance of game birds Martin Martin wrote:Similarly, Samuel Johnson noted that:
Corn Crake
The Corn Crake, Corncrake or Landrail is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the winter...
, Red-throated Diver
Red-throated Diver
The Red-throated Loon or Red-throated Diver is a migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. It breeds primarily in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. It is the most widely distributed member of the loon or diver family. Ranging from in length, the Red-throated...
, Rock Dove
Rock Pigeon
The Rock Dove or Rock Pigeon, is a member of the bird family Columbidae . In common usage, this bird is often simply referred to as the "pigeon"....
, Kittiwake
Black-legged Kittiwake
The Black-legged Kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Larus tridactylus....
, Tystie
Black Guillemot
The Black Guillemot or Tystie is a medium-sized alcid.Adult birds have black bodies with a white wing patch, a thin dark bill, and red legs and feet. They show white wing linings in flight. In winter, the upperparts are pale grey and the underparts are white. The wings remain black with the large...
, Atlantic Puffin
Atlantic Puffin
The Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill...
, Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
, Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
and White-tailed Sea Eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
. The Chough
Chough
The Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
last bred on the island in 1900. Mountain Hare
Mountain Hare
The Mountain Hare , also known as Blue Hare, Tundra Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Alpine Hare and Irish Hare, is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It is distributed from Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia; in addition there are isolated populations in the Alps,...
(apparently absent in the 18th century) and Rabbit
European Rabbit
The European Rabbit or Common Rabbit is a species of rabbit native to south west Europe and north west Africa . It has been widely introduced elsewhere often with devastating effects on local biodiversity...
are now abundant and predated on by Wild Cat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
and Pine Marten
Pine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
. The rich fresh water streams contain Brown Trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
and Water Shrew
Eurasian Water Shrew
The Eurasian Water Shrew, Neomys fodiens, known in the United Kingdom as the Water Shrew, is a relatively large shrew, up to long, with a tail up to three-quarters as long again. It has short dark fur, often with a few white tufts, a white belly, and a few stiff hairs around the feet and tail...
. Offshore the Edible Crab
Edible crab
Cancer pagurus, commonly known as the edible crab or brown crab, is a species of crab found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and perhaps in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a robust crab of a reddish-brown colour, having an oval carapace with a characteristic "pie crust" edge and black tips to...
and Oyster
Ostreidae
Ostreidae are the true oysters, and include most species that are commonly eaten under the name oyster. Pearl oysters are not true oysters and belong to the distinct order Pterioida....
are also found, the latter especially in the Sound of Scalpay
Scalpay, Inner Hebrides
Scalpay is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.Separated from the east coast of Skye by Loch na Cairidh, Scalpay rises to at Mullach na Càrn. It has an area of almost ten sq. miles....
. There are also nationally important Horse Mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
and Brittlestar
Brittle star
Brittle stars or ophiuroids are echinoderms in the class Ophiuroidea closely related to starfish. They crawl across the seafloor using their flexible arms for locomotion. The ophiuroids generally have five long slender, whip-like arms which may reach up to in length on the largest specimens...
beds in the sea lochs.
Heather moor containing Ling
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
, Bell Heather
Erica cinerea
Erica cinerea is a species of heather, native to western and central Europe. It is a low shrub growing to tall, with fine needle-like leaves long arranged in whorls of three...
, Cross-leaved Heath
Erica tetralix
Erica tetralix is a species of heather found in Atlantic areas of Europe, from southern Portugal to central Norway, as well as a number of boggy regions further from the coast in Central Europe. In bogs, wet heaths and damp coniferous woodland, Erica tetralix can become a dominant part of the flora...
, Bog Myrtle
Myrica gale
Myrica gale is a species of flowering plant in the genus Myrica, native to northern and western Europe and parts of northern North America. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 1–2 m tall. Common names include Bog Myrtle and Sweet Gale...
and Fescue
Fescue
Festuce is a genus of about 300 species of perennial tufted grasses, belonging to the grass family Poaceae . The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, although the majority of the species are found in cool temperate areas...
s is everywhere abundant. The high Black Cuillins weather too slowly to produce a soil that sustains a rich plant life, but each of the main peninsulas has an individual flora. The basalt underpinnings of Trotternish produce a diversity of Arctic and alpine plants including Alpine Pearlwort
Sagina
Sagina is a genus of 20–30 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. These are flowering herbs native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere extending south to tropical mountain areas at high altitudes, reaching just south of the equator in Africa...
and Mossy Cyphal
Minuartia
Minuartia is a genus of small flowering plants, one of those commonly known as "sandwort" or "stitchwort". The genus is classed within the family Caryophyllaceae, the pink family, characterised by its opposite and decussate leaves....
. The low-lying fields of Waternish contain Corn Marigold
Glebionis segetum
Glebionis segetum is a species of the genus Glebionis, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region. Common names include Corn Marigold and Corn Daisy....
and Corn Spurrey
Corn spurry
Spergula arvensis is a species of the genus Spergula.It is the county flower of Montgomeryshire in the United Kingdom.It is considered an agricultural weed in western Canada....
. The sea cliffs of Duirinish boast Mountain Avens
Dryas octopetala
Dryas octopetala is an arctic-alpine flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is a small prostrate evergreen subshrub forming large colonies, and is a popular flower in rock gardens...
and Fir Clubmoss. Minginish produces Fairy Flax
Linum catharticum
Linum catharticum or Fairy Flax is an herbaceous flowering plant in the genus Linum, native to central Europe and Western Asia. The plant is annual and blooms in July and August....
, Cats-ear
Catsear
Catsear , also known as flatweed, cat's ear or false dandelion, is a perennial, low-lying edible herb often found in lawns. The plant is native to Europe, but has also been introduced to the Americas, Japan, Australia and New Zealand where it can be an invasive weed...
and Black Bog Rush. There is a fine example of Brachypodium
Brachypodium
Brachypodium is a genus of about 26 annual or perennial bunch grasses from the Northern Hemisphere. Flimsy upright stems form tussocks. Flowers appear in compact spike-like racemes with 5-25 flowers on each short-stalked spikelet in summer...
-rich Ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
woodland at Tokavaig in Sleat incorporating Silver Birch
Silver Birch
Betula pendula is a widespread European birch, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey and the Caucasus...
, Hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
, Bird Cherry
Bird Cherry
Prunus padus, known as Bird Cherry or Hackberry, is a species of cherry, native to northern Europe and northern Asia. It is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, 8–16 m tall, which grows north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia...
, and Hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
.
The local Biodiversity Action Plan recommends land management measures to control the spread of Ragwort and Bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
and identifies four non-native, invasive species as threatening native biodiversity: Japanese Knotweed
Japanese knotweed
Japanese Knotweed is a large, herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Asia in Japan, China and Korea...
, Rhododendron
Rhododendron ponticum
Rhododendron ponticum, called Common Rhododendron or Pontic Rhododendron, is a species of Rhododendron native to southern Europe and southwest Asia.-Description:...
, New Zealand Flatworm
New Zealand flatworm
The New Zealand flatworm is a large flatworm native to New Zealand. It can vary from 5 mm in length when hatched to approximately in mature adults. The ventral surface of the flatworm is a pale buff colour while the dorsal surface is dark brown...
and Mink
American Mink
The American mink is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to North America, though human intervention has expanded its range to many parts of Europe and South America. Because of this, it is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Since the extinction of the sea mink, the American mink is the...
. It also identifies problems of over-grazing resulting in the impoverishment of moorland and upland habitats and a loss of native woodland, caused by the large numbers of Red Deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and sheep.
See also
- :Category:Mountains and hills of Skye
- List of islands of Scotland
- Timeline of prehistoric ScotlandTimeline of prehistoric ScotlandThis timeline of prehistoric Scotland is a chronologically ordered list of important archaeological sites in Scotland and of major events affecting Scotland's human inhabitants and culture during the prehistoric period. The period of prehistory prior to occupation by the genus Homo is part of the...
- Eilean mo chridheEilean mo chridhe"Eilean Mo Chridhe" is a Scottish Gaelic folk song written during the First World War. The composer was John Maclean of Glendale, Skye.-Scottish Gaelic:-External links:**...
-- Gaelic folk song written about Skye during World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.