The history of Skye

Settlers have occupied Skye’s valleys and coastal areas since the Mesolithic era – little wonder when you look at its prime west coast location between the mainland and the Western Isles – and it later spent many centuries changing hands between Celtic tribes, Viking powerbrokers and the Highland clans of MacLeod (whose base, Dunvegan Castle, still stands) and MacDonald. It first officially came under the control of Scotland following the 1266 Treaty of Perth, although it was ruled, largely independently, by the Lords of the Isles until the 15th century. The Jacobite conflicts of the early 18th century served to dismantle the status quo, while later the Highland Clearances saw many traditional crofting settlements dismantled and evacuated to make way for sheep farms – many locals were forced to emigrate, in time effectively halving the population. Today the main pillars of island life are farming, forestry and fishing, as well as the modern-day totem of Skye’s economy: tourism.

FolkloreWar of the One-Eyed WomanFolkloreAn Unlikely FriendshipFolkloreThe Mourning KelpieThe Raasay RaidersFolkloreThe Fairies of SkyeFolkloreThe Glendale RiotsFolkloreThe Fairy Flag Of Dunvegan CastleFolkloreDuntulm Castle – Skye’s Most Haunted LocationCalum’s RoadFolkloreThe Magical Waters By The Sligachan BridgeFolkloreEilean Donan And The Legend Of The BirdsFolkloreThe Dream Makers of SkyeFolkloreLegends From The Old Man of StorrFlora MacDonald – A Jacobite HeroineBattle of the BraesHistoryThe Dream Makers of SkyeHistoryIsland Adventures On The West CoastHistorySkye: A Brief HistoryHistoryJurassic Isle of SkyeHistorySkye’s Smallest Museum Honours Its Tallest HighlanderHistoryHistoric Sites to Visit on SkyeHistoryThe Isle of Skye: Discovering the Nooks & CranniesHistoryThe Macdonalds of Skye and Their CastlesHistoryThings to do on the Isle of Skye