Life on Skye

Advantages: Lots to see
Disadvantages: Admission charges

...Even with all of today's mod cons like electricity and running water the Isle of Skye can still be quite an inhospitable place. In Gaelic it is known as Eilean Cheo (The Misty Isle) and its winters are amongst the harshest endured anywhere in the British Isles. Despite all of this humans have inhabited Skye for at least the last eight thousand years and over this period these people have adapted to cope with the environment. This way of life, which is unique to the Scottish Highlands, is known as crofting and crofting is still widely practised today. A croft is traditionally a stone built house with a small patch of land around it that was used to grow crops and support a few animals. Typically a croft would have a few sheep, a couple of cows, some hens and even a pig or two. They would cut and dry peat from the land that provided fuel...

micksheff 27.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Skye Museum of Island Life, Isle of Skye

Limitless Skye!

Advantages: numerous
Disadvantages: its a long drive from the south!

...and the next the mist can close in, so always be prepared when out walking! What?s on offer here? ****************** Tourism is an important source of income for Skye and in season it is well set up for its visitors with plenty of good quality accommodation and places to eat. However there are no high tech attractions on Skye and its museums are small and intimate. We enjoy walking, climbing and being out doors generally and Skye has numerous walks of varying difficulty and some of the best climbing in Europe. I have listed some of the things we enjoyed and I hope you will too if you go! There is a tourist information centre in Broadford that can be contacted on 01478-612137 should you want any particular information. 1. Portree is the largest settlement on Skye and has a good range of shops including a well-stocked and friendly co...

anwar 28.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)

SKYE THE MOVIE - THE PERFECT SOUVENIR

Advantages: lovely pictures, better than a postcard
Disadvantages: music from start to finish

...Skye: The Movie is a 50 minute DVD made by Scottish Films. We bought the dvd on our last trip to Skye in 2002 to remind us of our holiday and how lovely Skye is. As we are going back again in September I thought I would dig the DVD out and watch it again. Now I can't wait til September to get back there! The scenery is so amazing and the pace of life is so slow, it is like another world over there. The Isle of Skye is known as the misty isle and is off the coast of western scotland and can be reached by crossing the Skye Bridge. I am not reviewing Skye however (have already done that). The DVD shows the landscapes, seascapes and people of the Isle of Skye. It is an audio visual experience, in that you get to watch the pictures accompanied by the scottish folk music soundtrack. According to the cover, filming began in...

kismet 11.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Skye - The Movie (DVD)

THE MISTY ISLE (Eilean a'Cheo) ISLE OF SKYE

Advantages: Tranquility; breathtaking scenery; friendly islanders
Disadvantages: Wet and windy or Midgies - take your pick!

..., you should also try and grab a bite to eat at the tiniest café in the world! Known as The Pasta Shed, this little place has only four tables! They also do take-a-ways. The food is delicious (awards galore adorn the walls) and the staff friendly and helpful. There are other little outlets around the Pier, so do try and see them all. You can pick up some beautiful, local, hand crafted goods. A gentle 10 minute stroll will take you to the famous Clan Donald Centre with its beautiful gardens and Visitors Centre. Dunvegan Castle - In the northwest corner of the island is Dunvegan castle, this is the ancient stronghold of the McLeod Clan and has been for the last 800 years, today this is still their family home. The Isle of Skye Toy Museum in Glendale. Only recently re-opened after being gutted by fire 3 years ago, this museum is...

Louizalass 17.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)

Memories of Skye

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review

...On a recent holiday on the Isle of Skye I spotted a bottle of Isle of Skye blended whisky in the local co-op. I have previously bought Talisker whisky from the Isle of Skye but had never heard of Isle of Skye whisky. As it was on offer for under £11 I decided to buy a bottle. As the name suggests Isle of Skye Scotch whisky originates from Skeabost on the Isle of Skye. However to- day it is produced by Ian MacLeod's distillery in Broxburn, Scotland. It is a blended whisky that has been aged for 8 years. The whisky has a lovely rich amber colour but the real test of any whisky has to be the taste! The first thing to say is that I definitely detected a peaty aroma on opening the bottle and as I don't usually detect any aroma with alcohol it must be quite distinctive! I usually drink whisky with ginger ale but for the purpose of this...

anwar 10.03.2008 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky

Over the sea to Skye

Advantages: Lovely way to arrive
Disadvantages: expensive

...We are frequent visitors to the Isle of Skye and although it is now linked to the mainland by the now free to cross, Skye bridge, we still prefer to arrive by ferry. There is something romantic about travelling ?over the sea to Skye?, that the bridge just can?t deliver. Booking. ******** Booking is essential at all times of the year as the ferry is very small and only has capacity for about 12 cars. I always book by phoning Cal Mac on 0800-66-5000.Alternatively it is very easy to book on line. You will need your vehicle registration number and a credit card. The person?s whose credit card you use must also be travelling, worth knowing if you are paying for a teenage child to go of on his or her own! Once the booking is confirmed you will be given a reference number. You will need this number to collect your tickets from your...

anwar 01.03.2009 (02.03.2009) · Read review
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Review of CalMac Ferry: Mallaig to Almadale-Isle of Skye

Come Over the sea to skye with me

Advantages: lovely island mountaind birds sea
Disadvantages: ?

...welcoming you in the distance as the ferry comes in to dock. Northeast Skye contains the old man of storr a stone pinnacle over 160 ft high. The largest town in this area is Portree the capital town of Skye, a fishing/ tourist port with a post office a co-op and a few tourist shops, a chemist and other small shops there is also a swimming pool here, cycle hire and pubs restaurants with evening entertainment. 20 miles north of Portree is the Quirang is a wild area of crumbling rock landscape. Northwest Skye has more rugged scenery, castles and lochs. You really need to get a book & map out of the library and research this island thoroughly before you decide which area to stay in. There are hotels, bed and breakfast houses, self-catering cottages and campsites on the island. We stayed in a cottage on the north east coast in a good position...

mumsymary 21.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)

THE WHITE HEATHER HOTEL, KYLEAKIN, SKYE

Advantages: Peaceful and friendly
Disadvantages: none at all

...). THINGS TO DO +++++++++++++ Skye is very popular with walkers, so you might find a few of them at the White Heather. Skye is also very popular with American and German tourists. The Bright Water visitor centre is next door and organises tours to Eilean Ban which is an otter haven. We are not into hiking up mountains, but we drove around Skye, visiting various castles and Clan museums. There is plenty to do on the island and the scenery is breathtaking. The Aros centre at Portree is worth a visit as is Dunvegan Castle. We also visited a sheepskin tannery and the Talisker whisky distillery. For a small island there is plenty to do. There is an otter hide at Kylerhea. MY OPINION ++++++++++++ Every morning at breakfast we had a good chat with Gillian and she recommended places to go and see, some of which are not shown...

kismet 02.03.2006 (11.09.2006) · Read review
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Review of The White Heather Hotel, Kyleakin, Skye

A few of my favourite (Skye) things

Advantages: Scenery; wildlife; getting away from it all
Disadvantages: Dreich if the weather closes in...

...A trip to Skye has become something of an annual pilgrimage for us. Actually, we try and get there a couple of times a year, and after staying in hotel accommodation the first time have discovered the real joy of the island by renting self-catered cottages since then. This way you can choose from almost any spot on the island, and decide whether you really want to be sitting separate from anyone else. I could go on at length about the reasons we love Skye, and keep going back, but I thought here I would just share my five favourite spots and experiences on the island. 1. Elgol Quite simply the best view of the Cuillin range out over the water. This tiny settlement about 10 miles or so from Broadford lies at the bottom of a remarkably steep hill and houses a couple of companies which sail out on wildlife spotting trips, and drop...

blackpuddinonnabike 20.11.2007 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)

Driving in Skye

Advantages: God's own country, stunning, idyllic and empty
Disadvantages: The weather can be capricious

...I last visited Skye more than ten years ago. Back then I was using public transport on rickety old buses across single track roads. Recently I've been lucky enough to get a new car, and Skye has been the benificiary of upgraded roads courtesy of the EU. I thought it was time to bring the two together. Using the aforementioned new roads it is perfectly possible to drive around Skye in a day. Personally I'd recommend taking more time over it, but a whistle-stop tour does at least give you a flavour of the scope and grandeur of the island. I started in the obvious place. The new road bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh dominates the skyline, but its long sweeping modernist curve looks strangely appropriate and leads you across, island hopping on a thin concrete strip. At first the road is straight and relatively flat, giving no warning...

williemeikle 03.09.2002 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)