Skíō: Made by Hand on the Edge of Skye

You reach Skíō Pottery by turning off the main Waternish road and following a track toward the sea. There’s a stillness to this part of Skye—a pause in the air as you near the loch—and the space around the studio feels purposeful. Inside, shelves are lined with practical pieces: mugs, bowls, beakers. Everything looks lived in, not precious. The colours are soft, the surfaces textured. Nothing feels out of place here.

Black clay beakers, cracked like Skye’s basalt rocks. Glazes inspired by the colour of foraged seaweed. Raffia vases and coral mugs. “We are definitely influenced by the landscape around us,” says Kayti, one half of the potter duo behind Skíō Pottery, overlooking Loch Bay on the Waternish Peninsula. The other half is her partner Luke, and though the couple moved from York, you’d never guess they’d been anywhere but Skye.

Kayti likes to work with organic shapes and mark-making techniques; Luke is inspired by minimalist design and brutalist architecture. “We both love leaving elements of our pieces raw and unglazed so you can feel the texture of the clay when you hold them,” says Kayti. Above all, the pieces should be practical – “to be enjoyed and used daily”.

Their work recently caught the eye of Scott Davies, head chef at the world-famous Three Chimneys in Colbost. “He popped into the studio one day and took a load of pieces to play with,” remembers Kayti. They then designed a range of ceramics to work with a new menu for The Three Chimneys’ pop-up dining experience at Talisker Distillery. “Scott had a vision for what our dishes would be used for, like the show-stopping smoked venison,” says Kayti.

As well as local produce – “try the trout from Isle of Skye Smokehouse,” suggests Kayti – the collaboration showcases other local craftspeople. Kayti likes the work by Skye Weavers. “They have a brilliant showroom you can visit to see the fabrics being made on the pedal-powered loom,” she says. And “definitely take home a tin of Isle of Skye Sea Salt, as it’s the key to all the best dishes on the island!”

Skíō is one of the old Norse spellings of Skye. It’s a name that connects Kayti and Luke to the island. “Skye feels like home. We feel like this is where we need to be and where we should be,” she says.

Where would you take a friend who was visiting for the first time?

We always go to Coral Beach as it’s so beautiful.
The rest of the time we tour our favourite food spots: Café Cùil, Bûrr Skye, Birch Café, The Dunvegan, The Three Chimneys at Talisker (for the amazing tacos and mocktails), The Stein Inn, The 1970 Gallery and YURTea&Coffee.
Donnie’s Tablet Shed is so much fun, or if you are up for a splurge, the pot au prawns at Loch Bay Restaurant may be the best thing you’ll ever eat!

You can visit Skíō Pottery by dropping into the studio at Loch Bay, where shelves are stocked with mugs, bowls, vases and other one-off pieces. There's also a self-service Croft Box—an honesty shed with a rotating selection of work available to take home. To check if the studio is open, or to browse what’s currently available, visit their website or follow them on Instagram, where Kayti and Luke often share glimpses of new glazes, small-batch firings and moments from their quiet corner of Skye.