"Skye and Lochalsh Skye and Lochalsh () is one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region of Scotland. The main offices of the Skye and Lochalsh district council were in Portree, on the Isle of Skye. As statutory local government areas, the region and districts were created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and abolished in 1996, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The area of the region is now the Highland unitary council area, and the former Skye and Lochalsh district is within the Highland Council's Ross, Skye and Lochaber"
"hedgerows and crops. The islands of Raasay, Rona, Scalpay and Pabay all lie to the north and east between Skye and the mainland. Portree in the north at the base of Trotternish is the largest settlement (estimated population 2,264 in 2011) and is the main service centre on the island. Broadford, the location of the island's only airstrip, is on the east side of the island and Dunvegan in the north-west is well known for its castle and the nearby Three Chimneys restaurant. The 18th-century Stein Inn on the Waternish coast is the oldest pub on Skye. Kyleakin is linked"
"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. Portree has a harbour, fringed by cliffs, with a pier designed by Thomas Telford. Attractions in the town include the Aros centre which celebrates the island's Gaelic heritage. Further arts provision is made through arts organisation ATLAS Arts, a Creative Scotland regularly-funded organisation. The town also serves as a centre for tourists exploring the island. The Royal Hotel is the site"
"largest islands are, from south to north, Islay, Jura, Mull, Rùm and Skye. Skye is the largest and most populous of all with an area of and a population of just over 10,000. The southern group are in Argyll, an area roughly corresponding with the heartlands of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata and incorporated into the modern unitary council area of Argyll and Bute. The northern islands were part of the county of Inverness-shire and are now in the Highland Council area. The ten largest islands are as follows. The geology and geomorphology of the islands is varied. Some,"
"Skye Skye, or the Isle of Skye (; or ), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillins, the rocky slopes of which provide some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the country. Although it has been suggested that the Gaelic 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 its history includes a time of Norse rule and a long period of domination by"
"industries are tourism, agriculture, fishing and forestry. Skye is part of the Highland Council local government area. The island's largest settlement is Portree, known for its picturesque harbour. There are links to various nearby islands by ferry and, since 1995, to the mainland by a road bridge. The climate is mild, wet and windy. The abundant wildlife includes the golden eagle, red deer and Atlantic salmon. The local flora are dominated by heather moor, and there are nationally important invertebrate populations on the surrounding sea bed. Skye has provided the locations for various novels and feature films and is celebrated"
"used Portree's pier as a rest point. The town also began exporting fish at this time, which contributed greatly to the local economy. The town had the last manual telephone exchange in the UK, which closed in 1976. Portree shale is a geologic association in the vicinity of Portree, the existence of which is linked with potential petroleum occurrences of commercial importance. 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"
"and exhibition centre in Portree. There are about a dozen large landowners on Skye, the largest being the public sector, with the Scottish Government owning most of the northern part of the island. Glendale is a community-owned estate in Duirinish and the Sleat Community Trust, the local development trust, is active in various regeneration projects. Small firms dominate employment in the private sector. The Talisker Distillery, which produces a single malt whisky, is beside Loch Harport on the west coast of the island. Three other whiskies— (""son of the sea""), (""wee dram of the isles"") and (""black pot"")—are produced by"
"south-west of the island, including Staffin at 61 per cent. The weakest areas were in the west and east (e.g. Luib 23 per cent and Kylerhea 19 per cent). Other areas on Skye ranged between 48 per cent and 25 per cent. In terms of local government, 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 unitary Highland Council, () based in Inverness and formed one of the new council's area committees. Following the 2007 elections, Skye now"
"name ""Skye"" itself, all pre-Norse placenames seem to have been obliterated by the Scandinavian settlers. Viking heritage is 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. Clan MacNeacail also have a long association with"
"but the meaning of this Gaelic name is unclear. , which means ""island of the mist"" (a translation of the Norse name), is a poetic Gaelic name for the island. At , Skye is the second-largest island in Scotland after Lewis and Harris. The coastline of Skye is a series of peninsulas and bays radiating out from a centre dominated by the Cuillin hills (Gaelic: ). 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,"
"Broadford, Skye Broadford (), together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Lying in the shadow of the Red Cuillin mountains, Broadford is within the parish of Strath. A long meandering village historically consisting of a few buildings on either side of the Broadford River, the many small townships around the wide sweep of the bay have grown together and Broadford now stretches for a mile and a half around the southern side of Broadford Bay. Like many places in Skye, Broadford derives its name from Old Norse. To the Norsemen this was ""Breiðafjorðr"""
"grew substantially. For example, the population of Skye declined from 23,082 in 1841 to 15,705 in 1891 and a low point of 7,183 in 1971, before growing in more recent decades. Inverness is by far the largest settlement, with a population of 46,870 in 2012. The urban area around Inverness includes a few outlying villages and has a population of 59,910. The highest point in the Highland council area is Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. Its northernmost point is Stroma, a small island in the Pentland Firth. Its southernmost point"
"such as Skye and Mull, are mountainous, whilst others like Tiree are relatively low-lying. The highest mountains are the Cuillins of Skye, although peaks over are common elsewhere. Much of the coastline is machair, a fertile low-lying dune pastureland. Many of the islands are swept by strong tides, and the Corryvreckan tide race between Scarba and Jura is one of the largest whirlpools in the world. There are various smaller archipelagoes including the Ascrib Islands, Crowlin Islands, Slate Islands, Small Isles, Summer Isles and Treshnish Islands. The inhabited islands of the Inner Hebrides had a population of 18,257 at the"
"due to an ageing population which has resulted in only 4 students currently attending and the school was scheduled for closure in summer 2015. The local pub is the Stein Inn, which dates back to 1790 and is the oldest on Skye. Trumpan was the site of the skirmish known as the Battle of the Spoiling Dyke and the churchyard is the burial ground of Rachel Chiesley, Lady Grange. 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"
"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's descriptions of Skye, as featured in his Richard Hannay novel ""Mr Standfast"", are more true to life. is a 2004 Italian language work of non-fiction by . The international bestseller, The Ice Twins, by S K Tremayne, published around the"
"Clan MacLeod and Clan Donald. The 18th century Jacobite risings led to the breaking up of the clan system and subsequent Clearances that replaced entire communities with sheep farms, some of which also involved forced emigrations to distant lands. Resident numbers declined from over 20,000 in the early 19th century to just under 9,000 by the closing decade of the 20th century. Skye's population increased by 4 per cent between 1991 and 2001. About a third of the residents were Gaelic speakers in 2001, and although their numbers are in decline, this aspect of island culture remains important. The main"
"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"". 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"", which would make Duirinish one of the claws. The main peaks are Healabhal Mhòr"
"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..."" in 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 musician Mylo was born on Skye. The poet Sorley MacLean, a native of"
"and the inhabitants as ""moganaich"". 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"". 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"", which would make Duirinish one of the claws. The"
"on her gravestone. After this 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. 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."
"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 clan chief is Hugh Macleod of Macleod. It contains the hamlets of Stein and Lusta in Loch Bay to the south east, Halistra, Hallin and Trumpan further north and Gillen to the west, all of which are accessed from the A850 road by crossing the Fairy Bridge. The highest point is Ben Geary"
"highest point of the peninsula. The north-eastern part of the peninsula around Quiraing is designated as a National Scenic Area and the entire landslip is a Special Area of Conservation. Dinosaur footprints have been found at ""An Corran"", which is also a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site dating to the 7th millennium BC. The ruins of the 14th–15th-century Duntulm Castle stand at the northern end of the peninsula. The three major settlements on Trotternish are Portree, generally regarded as the capital of Skye, Uig, a ferry terminus, and Staffin. Trotternish is the strongest Gaelic-speaking area of Skye. Trotternish is underlain by basalt,"
"shingle beaches at the northernmost point, the Point of Ayre. The island has one mountain higher than , Snaefell, with a height of . According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms: those of Mann, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven. Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that of the sea, or Neptune. At the 2016 census, the Isle of Man was home to 83,314 people, of whom 26,997 resided in the island's capital, Douglas and 9,128 in the adjoining village of Onchan. The population decreased by 1.4% between the 2011 and 2016 censuses. By"
"Isleornsay Isleornsay (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Iarmain) is a village lying off the main Armadale to Sleat road (the A851) 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. The location was exploited from the 18th century or earlier by the MacDonalds who owned this part of Skye. There is a hotel in the village called The Isle Ornsay Hotel and a local company ""Pràban na Linne"" founded by Iain Noble which produces a vatted malt whisky called ""Poit Dhubh"""
"Skye Bridge The Skye Bridge () is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, Scotland, connecting the Isle of Skye to the island of Eilean Bàn. The name is also used for the whole Skye Crossing, which further connects Eilean Bàn to the mainland across the Carrich Viaduct. The crossing forms part of the A87. Traditionally, the usual route from the mainland to Skye was the shortest crossing, with a length of around , across the sound between the villages of Kyle of Lochalsh on the mainland and Kyleakin on the island's east coast. A ferry service operated from around 1600,"
"Wiay, Skye Wiay (Gaelic: Bhuia or Fuidheigh) is a currently 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 . Most of the coastline consists of vertical cliffs and the southern bluff is a striking overhanging cliff. There are also several sea caves along the vertical cliff coast line. The island has been uninhabited since the late 19th century. There are two large herring gull colonies on the island."
"Wiay, Skye Wiay (Gaelic: Bhuia or Fuidheigh) is a currently 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 . Most of the coastline consists of vertical cliffs and the southern bluff is a striking overhanging cliff. There are also several sea caves along the vertical cliff coast line. The island has been uninhabited since the late 19th century. There are two large herring gull colonies on the island."
"located at nearby Ashaig. The single asphalt runway is in length and oriented at 07/25. Broadford, Skye Broadford (), together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Lying in the shadow of the Red Cuillin mountains, Broadford is within the parish of Strath. A long meandering village historically consisting of a few buildings on either side of the Broadford River, the many small townships around the wide sweep of the bay have grown together and Broadford now stretches for a mile and a half around the southern side of Broadford Bay. Like many places"
"part due to the impact of tourism. 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. Skye is linked to the mainland by the Skye Bridge, 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 opened in 1995 under a private finance initiative and the high tolls charged (£5.70 each way"
"main settlement at the head of the bay. The main westcoast rail line, passes the bay, and as it passes, the follows the bowl shaped ccurve of the bay. To the south, is the opening at Kyle of Lochalsh into the sea loch Loch Alsh. Further southwest is the northern shore of Skye on a SW to NE orientation, is Broadford Bay and the village of Broadford. Directly south is the opening of Kyle Rhea, which separates the mainland from Skye. Access to the bay is via railway or the A87 road, that runs west from its junction with the"
"learning. The village is also a small port, and has a regular Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service to Mallaig. It is at the southern end of the A851 road. When walking on the beach near the pier, it is possible to see otters and seals. Armadale, Skye Armadale () is a village near the southern end of the Sleat Peninsula, on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and is a village in the Highland council area of 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"
"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. Skye has a strong folk music 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 entitled ""Skye"", the lyrics being partly in English and partly in Gaelic and they have released other songs such as ""Nightfall on Marsco"" that"