Isle of Skye
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Looking towards Quiraing, Skye. |
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The Old Man of Storr, Skye |
The
Isle of Skye, usually known simply as
Skye (
An t-Eilean Sgitheanach in
Scottish Gaelic), is the largest and most northerly island in the
Inner Hebrides of
Scotland.
Scottish Gaelic "sgiath" means "winged".
Its name came via
Old Norse Skið = "ski" (and similar meanings), as an alteration of a
Pictish original which is recorded in
Roman sources as
Scitis (
Ravenna Cosmography) and
Scetis (on
Ptolemy's map). Some legends associate the isle with the mythic figure of
Scáthach. The island is sometimes also known as
Eilean a' Cheò - or "Isle of Mist".
The population of Skye, at the 2001 census was 9232. In contrast to many other Scottish islands this represents a 4% increase from the census of
1991 [
1]. The resident population is augmented in the
summer by large numbers of tourists and visitors. The main industries are
tourism, agriculture, whisky-distilling, brewing and craftmaking. The main town and capital of the island is
Portree, which is known for its picturesque
harbour.
Skye is renowned for its spectacular scenery, vibrant culture and heritage, as well as its abundant wildlife including the
Golden Eagle,
Red Deer and the
Otter.
At
1700 km² (656
mi²), Skye is the second largest island in
Scotland after
Lewis. The island has some of the most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain in Scotland, including the
Cuillin, as well as a rich heritage of ancient monuments,
castles, and
memorials.
The southwest side of Skye is a series of
peninsulas, including
Sleat in the south,
Strathaird,
Minginish and
Duirinish, and
Waternish in the west, and
Trotternish to the north. Surrounding islands include
Rona,
Raasay,
Scalpay and
Soay.
Skye has sites showing occupation by
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, such as the site at
An Corran in
Staffin which appears to have been in contact with occupants of the rock shelter at
Sand, Applecross on the coast of
Wester Ross.
Skye suffered
famine and
clearances over the latter part of the
18th century, leading to its badly depleted population of less than 10,000 at the
1991 Census.
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.
Of all the Inner Hebrides, Skye has the most in common with the
Outer Hebrides, with nearly half the population speaking Gaelic, and many belonging to the
Free Church of Scotland, known for its strict observance of the
Sabbath.
The
Talisker Distillery, which produces a
single malt whisky, is beside
Loch Harport on the west coast of the island. There is also a famous blend called
Isle of Skye, produced by MacLeod's.
Dunvegan Castle has been the seat of
Clan MacLeod since the
thirteenth century.
The Isle of Skye has been immortalised in the traditional song
The Skye Boat Song and in the book
To the Lighthouse by
Virginia Woolf.
Skye has a strong
folk music tradition, although in recent years dance and rock music have been growing in popularity on the island. The
Isle of Skye Music Festival has been growing in recent years and this year featured sets from The
Fun Loving Criminals and
Sparks.
Mylo was born in Skye and frequently returns there to play sets.
Sorley MacLean lived much of his life on Skye.
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. Ferries to and from Armadale are sometimes synchronised with train arrivals and departures at Mallaig.
Bus services run to
Inverness and
Glasgow, and there are infrequent 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. There is also a small
aerodrome at the south of the island, 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 40 years, but there are still substantial sections of
single track road.
Portree is the largest settlement, and main service centre on the island, with a population of 1,917.
Sconser and
Broadford lying on the east side of the island. Smaller settlements include:
*
Aird of Sleat*
Armadale*
Duntulm*
Dunvegan*
Edinbane*
Elgol*
Isleornsay*
Kyleakin*
Staffin*
Torrin*
Uig*
Ullinish*
:Category:Mountains and hills of Skye*
Free independent guide to walks on the Isle of Skye*
SKAT homepage*
The Isle of Skye Music Festival homepage
