One of the largest and best known Scottish islands, Skye has long been acclaimed for its stunning mountain scenery, abundance of rare wildlife and real “get away from it all” feel. At present, its population count is just under twelve thousand, yet this number is rising steadily every year when people who return every year on holiday decide to make it their home.
Skye is the perfect location for walkers and mountaineers with a wide variety of walks and climbs to suit all abilities, from the renowned Cuillin range for the experienced mountaineer to the vast rock formations of the Quirang or the 160ft needle of volcanic rock known as the Old Man of Storr. On clear days the views from these places are superb, yet even when they are bathed in swirling mists, they become mystical and calming. There are also many places just to enjoy ambling through, e.g. the Fairy Glen near Uig Bay. This is a magical place, well named, as it captures all the charm of fairies with its strange conical mounds and sloping hillocks formed by countless landslips over many years. Exploring Rubha Hunish, Skye’s most northerly point, is rewarding without being extreme; the breathtaking views of the entire northern Minch are compensation for the steep climb down the rocky footpath which meanders down the cliff; also many of Skye’s seabirds are easily seen from the shore, jewelled with rock pools below the cliff top.

Trotternish, a small rural community strewn along the north coast of Skye, ranks among the most historic areas of the Scottish Highlands. Even now history is being discovered just a few miles south of Trotternish in the form of an archaeology site which from personal experience proved to be a fascinating insight into a way of life hundreds of years ago. From Vikings to Picts and Celts, remnants of these ancient cultures are evident today; in place names (e.g. the name Trotternish is said to have originated from the Norse language and translates as “Thrond’s Headland”) and also in the form of abandoned settlements, standing stones and numerous castles in various states of disrepair.
One of these castles is accompanied by a legend of old – Caisteal Uisdean, Gaelic for Hugh’s Castle. It is said that Hugh held great contempt for the chieftain of that time and hatched a sinister plot to murder him at a banquet he was hosting. He wrote a letter of invitation to the chieftain and another hiring an assassin for the fateful night, but unfortunately Hugh confused the two letters. When the chieftain received the letter informing him of his planned murder, Hugh was brought to Dunvegan Castle immediately and locked in the dungeon with only a joint of salted beef and an empty pewter jug to sustain him. As it is easy to imagine, he suffered terribly for his sins, dying a lengthy death from thirst.

Skye is rich in culture and history and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Due to this enormous popularity, it is easy to find craft shops or cottage museums to visit. Most of Skye’s inhabitants are connected with the tourism industry in some way, most providing accommodation in the way of B&Bs or self-catering holiday cottages. More unusual accommodation can be rented; the old coastguard cottages situated on the cliff top of Rubha Hunish have recently been renovated and now serve as holiday lets. The Skye Museum of Island Life, a perfectly preserved cluster of thatched blackhouses on an exposed hill in Kilmuir, near Duntulm, which overlook the Isle of Harris are well worth a visit as each one illustrates a different aspect of Highland life a hundred years ago.

Tourists have enjoyed Skye as a holiday destination since Victorian times, even Royalty have honoured the island with frequent visits and it is easy to see why. Skye is an breathtakingly beautiful place – “our little corner of paradise” as one local crofter fondly describes it.