Skye (Scotland) - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

History

The name of Skye comes from the Vieux norrois Skið (“ski”) which is a deterioration of a word Picte noted in Roman sources Scitis (Ravenna Cosmography) and Scetis (on the chart of Ptolémée). Sgiath as a Scot means winged . The island is sometimes named Eilean a' Cheò (“the island of the fogs”).

Certain legends associate the island to the mythical character of Scáthach.

Skye has sites showing of the traces of hunters as of the Mesolithic such that of An Corran whose inhabitants seem to have been in liaison with the community of Sand in Applecross, on the North-western coast of Scotland.

The clan MacLeod, descendant of conquerors Viking S, occupies the North-East of the island and the clan MacDonald, arrived on the island at the 15th century, South-west.

Geography

With its 1 736 km ², Skye is the second vastest island of Scotland after the island called Lewis and Harris.

It has a relief of escarpés with the chain of Cuillin. An old volcanicity marks the relief, in particular on the Northern part of the island ( Old Man off Storr ).

The South-western coast of the island consists of a series of péninsules : Sleat in the South, Strathaird, Minginish, Duirinish and Waternish in the West and Trotternish in North.

Skye is surrounded by other small islands of which Rona, Raasay, Scalpay and Soay.

Culture

From all the interior islands of Hébrides, Skye is that which has the most bonds with the external Hébrides : half of the population speaks the Scot and much is Protestant S and observes the Christian Sabbat.

On the west coast, founded distilling Talisker in 1830 produces a Single malt whiskey and MacLeods produces the famous drink called off “Isle Skye”.

The castle of Dunvegan is the stronghold of MacLeods since the 13th century.

Skye was immortalisée by the song “The Skye boat song” and by the novel of Virginia Woolf “To the Lighthouse”.

The island has a strong tradition in the Celtic Musique and every year, the Isle off Skye Music Festival pays homage to the traditional music. The Scottish musician Mylo was born in Skye and there regularly goes back.

Skye has also a rich person inheritance made up of castles and monuments old.

Skye is known for its wild landscapes, its alive culture and its long past like for its faune : the Golden eagle, the Stag Elaphe and the Otter. To note the presence, in summer, of the " midges" , kind of minimoustic attacking in swarm and extremely virulent. An anecdote will interest the amateurs of excursion eager to venture on Skye the summer: the history of a Scottish soldier which discovered by chance the remedy for the midges and with their bites awfully démangeantes. Indeed, the traditional anti-mosquito lotions are ineffective against the midges, only functions the " skin so soft" , banal lotion of care of the skin. The invaluable Scottish soldier had indeed applied some to the skin before realizing that its arms covered midges deceased. This product is from now on very widespread and known on the island.

Population

Skye suffered from the famine and its insulation until the end of the 18th century, leading to a population reduced to less 10 000 inhabitants with the census of 1991. In 2001, the population resident was of 9 232 inhabitants, is a rise of 4% in ten years.

The summer of many tourists come to visit the island and make go the industry of tourism, of the Whiskey, agriculture, the breweries and fabric.

The principal village is Portree (1 917 inhabitants), known for his picturesque port. Sconser and Broadford are on the east coast. The other villages sont : Aird off Sleat, Armadale, Duntulm, Dunvegan, Edinbane, Elgol, Isleornsay, Kyleakin, Staffin, Torrin, Uig and Ullinish.

Transport

The island is connected to the continent by the bridge of Skye open in 1995 like by ferries since Armadale until Mallaig and of Kylerhea to Glenelg. Vats also leave Uig in Tarbet on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist and Sconser to the island of Raasay. The ferries serving Armadale are often synchronized on the railway schedules of Mallaig.

Buses connect Skye to Inverness or with Glasgow but the service roads in the island are developed little starting from Portree or of Broadford.

A railway line connects off Kyle Lochalsh, located close to the bridge of Skye, in Inverness.

A small aerodrome in the south of the island is reserved exclusively for the private aircrafts.

The main roads, A87, cross the island of the bridge of Skye in Uig and connect between them the principal villages. The majority of the roads have been widened for forty years but there remain still certain sections with a way.

External bond

Official site of Skye

Reference

Simple: Isle off Skye

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