Isle of Skye Highland Games
The Isle of Skye Highland Games is one of the highlights
of the Skye calendar. Join the locals for this festival
of highland dancing, bagpipe playing, traditional highland
athletic events and much more. For details of this year's
events visit the Skye
Highland Games website.
Portree Restaurants
We have Restaurants to suit all tastes in Portree. Favourites
of our guests are:
Marmalade ( wide menu to suit all tastes) , Home Farm
Road, 01478 611711
The Bosville Hotel (wide menu to suit all tastes) Bosville
Terrace, 01478 612846
Café Arriba,( wide menu but has vegetarian specialities
and sometimes Mexican, Moroccan and other of the more
exotic countries fayre), Quay Brae, 01478 611830
Sea Breezes, the harbour. Phone: 01478 612016 (Mainly Seafood)
The Lower Deck, the harbour. Phone: 01478 613611 (Mainly Seafood)
The Prince of India, just behind the harbour. Phone: 01478 612681
The Caledonian Hotel, Wentworth Street. Phone: 01478 612641
(Pub Grub)
The Royal Hotel, Bank Street. Phone: 01478 612525
Harbour View Seafood Restaurant , 7 Bosville Terrace. Phone: 01478 612069
Top
Isle of Skye Facts and Figures
Isle of Skye Population and Size
Skye, 9,500; Portree 2,100
Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides; it
is about 50 miles long and from 7 to 25 miles broad; there
is approximately 350 miles of coastline. Nowhere in fact
is further than 5 miles from the sea.
Isle of Skye Weather
The average temperature is about 14 degrees celsius.
It can often be windy and wet but it can also be a sunny
and warm island. Skye weather can change quickly . Walkers
and climbers should be prepared for warm sunny conditions,
which can change suddenly to wet and windy. The poetic
name for Skye is Eilann A’ Cheo – The island
of mist. The Gaelic poems show that the mist in question
is one which swirls about the Cuillin and the Storr
Isle of Skye Origins
The name Skye may be derived from the Norse word Ski
– meaning cloud and ey meaning island. Many refer
to Skye as the Misty Island and here may lie the origin
of the name. From around 800 AD the island was ruled by
Norsemen and to this day many of the villages and townships
bear Norse names. Before the era of Scandinavian occupation,
the island was in the hands of the Celts whose language
and culture outlived the Norse influence and which is
still alive throughout the island. Many Skye people can
speak the Gaelic language and the islanders are very proud
of their Celtic heritage. They speak the language every
day and there is at present a keen desire among islanders
to preserve and strengthen this unique and precious language.
Isle of Skye Wildlife
The island abounds with wildlife. It is one of the last
refuges of the Golden Eagle the Sea Eagle and the Corncrake.
Otters are frequently seen all around the coastline and
both common and grey seals breed here. Various species
of Dolphin and whales can be seen from the ferry across
the Minch. Red Deer are found in the hills of Skye and
Roe deer in the woods.
Isle of Skye History
After Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated at Culloden
by the British Army in 1746 he escaped to safety via Skye
with the help of Flora MacDonald. The Skye Boat Song tells
the story- “ Speed Bonnie Boat like a Bird on the
Wing over the sea to Skye”. The British Government
having defeated the Young Pretender’s army banned
the wearing of tartan, the playing of bagpipes , the bearing
of arms by the Highlanders and the speaking of Gaelic.
Sites of Historic Interest
There is nothing now on Skye to equal the Great Stone
Circles of the Western Isles . many of the stone settings
which once dominated the landscape have since disappeared
; the remains have been destroyed by the progress of agriculture
and various other causes . What now remains is a scatter
of single upright stones and a handful of incomplete buildings,
their once circular form now broken by absent stones or
those fallen and buried by peat. IRON AGE SITES –
Large imposing defensive hill forts situated in positions
calculated to offer the best vantage for defence.
Economy
Skye is principally an agricultural island and the largest
slice of its income is derived from the sale of sheep,
cattle and wool. There is a little heavy industry and
some fishing, forestry work and distilling. Tourism is
a major industry on the island and it dates back to the
visit of Johnson and Boswell in 1773. The number of visitors
to the island increases year by year and they come from
all over the globe.
Crofting
The agricultural system of Skye is crofting. A “croft”
is a small holding or a stretch of land ranging in size
from 1 acre to 50 acres or upwards. There are roughly
2000 crofts on Skye with only 100 large enough to allow
a crofter to earn his entire livelihood from the land.
Isle of Skye Towns and Villages
Portree : The island’s capital This picturesque
town is situated half way up the island on the east coast
overlooking the Sound of Rassay. It has a most attractive
harbour and is dominated by Fingal’s Seat. The facilities
within the town include : Three Banks, a number of excellent
shops, a Hospital, Leisure Centre, Library, the island’s
High School, a number of hotels, guest houses and B&B’s,
several Inns, various professional services and five Churches.
There are a number of excellent restaurants, pubs with
pub meals and cafes. Please ask Rosemary or Douglas for
details.
Broadford: Approximately 20 miles south of Portree, Broadford
is a reasonable sized town supporting hotels , restaurants
, a hospital and several shops.
UIG: This town is situated in one of the most beautiful
bays in Skye and is only about 20 minutes from Portree
in the spectacular Trotternish peninisula. The ferry to
the Western Isles is based in Uig. You will find several
shops there and the famous Isle of Skye Brewery. Children
will also find Fairy Glen near Uig, an enchanting area
to have a picnic in.
Dunvegan: Famous for the oldest inhabited castle in the
UK, this small town is situated in the northern end of
Skye and is about 30 minutes from Portree. The town has
several hotels, shops, a school and a medical centre and
a lovely restaurant called “The Old Schoolhouse”
not too far away is the Three Chimneys restaurant.
Staffin: Known as one of the best farming areas on the
island, this town is just a short drive north of Portree.
It is surrounded by basaltic pillared rocks, which, along
with the many other attractions on the Trotternish peninsula,
prove very popular with tourists. To the south of Staffin
is a slipway from which, in winter, and at low tide, local
farmers take cattle for a swim across to a small island
to graze!
Isle of Skye Art
All over the island you will find art studios and galleries
and many other craft studios and shops.
The Cuillins
The island itself is a rugged and mountainous place
with a dramatic and beautiful coastline. The Cuillins
are the UK’s greatest mountain range. The name is
believed to be derived from the legendary Irish hunter,
Cu Chulainn, who is said to have come from Ireland in
two strides. The main body of the Cuillins is known as
“The Black Cuillins” with the lower and older
“Red Cuillins” lying just to the east. The
highest peak of the group is Sgurr Alasdair which is 993
metres ( 3258 feet) in height. The mountains of the Cuillins
extend in an irregular semi- circle, some 10 kilometres
( 6 miles approx) in length, with a series of narrow summit
ridges, deeply cut corries and massive cliffs and screes.
The Red hills have soft, rounded contours to their steep
sides, while the Black hills to the west rising to almost
1000 metres, are unimaginably hard and jagged in their
aspect.
The Cuillins are the most untamed mountains in Britain.
This hugely impressive mountain range can be seen from
every other peninsula in Skye ( you can see them very
clearly from this house). The magnificent scenery and
vast range of walks and scrambles have attracted climbers
and walkers to the Cuillins for centuries. The site is
of European importance for its breeding population of
Golden Eagles; these magnificent birds nest, roost ,display
and hunt throughout the site. Each pair may have more
than one eyrie, and these are located on cliffs and ledges
throughout the site.
Top
Useful Websites
Official Skye Tourism Website: www.skye.co.uk
Isle of Skye Accommodation, Winter in Isle of Skye & Lochalsh, Travel Isle of Skye & Lochalsh
Highlands Website for Skye: www.visithighlands.com/skye
Isle
of Skye Accordion and Fiddle Club for live traditional
scottish music at regular venues including the annual
Isle of Skye Accordion and Fiddle Festival in May each
year.
If you are visiting Edinburgh you must take a tour with
our friend Adrian - the best way to see the city in a
few hours: Edinburgh
Tours
For Edinburgh
accommodation we can recommend The Inverleith Hotel
adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens (the neighbourhood
where Douglas used to run about as a wee boy!)
For Edinburgh
Bed & Breakfast accommodation we can recommend
Harry & Isabelle's 4 star Craigmoss Guest House.
Private guided tours of Scotland with local guide Craig
McCall Flynn for 1 to 7 persons
For unique Scottish
Jewellery that can be delivered to you, have a look
at Gemkist, handcrafted pieces by our friend Hilary Milne
Top
|
