From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Skye and the surrounding islandsTheInner and Outer Hebrides to the west of the mainland of Scotland. Portree, Skye's largest settlementDunvegan Castle, looking towards MacLeod's Tables
Skye is the largest and most northerly island in theInner Hebrides ofScotland.[1] More than 9000 people live there, and half of the people speakGaelic. The main settlement isPortree, known for itspicturesqueharbour.
The island has been occupied since themesolithic period and has a colourful history. It was rule by theNorse for 400 years, then dominated byClan MacLeod andClan Donald. TheHighland Clearances of the 19th century caused a decline in the population from over 20,000 to around 9,200 in the early 21st century. The population has risen 4% from the census of 1991.[2] The main industries aretourism, agriculture, fishing andwhisky-distilling.
Skye has a rich heritage of ancient monuments from the clans, especially castles.Dunvegan Castle has been the seat of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century. It may have been inhabited by a single family for longer than any other house in Scotland.[4]
The 18th centuryArmadale Castle, once home of Clan Donald was abandoned as a residence in 1925 but now hosts the Clan Donald Centre.[5] Nearby are the ruins of two more MacDonald strongholds,Knock Castle, andDunscaith Castle, the legendary home of Queen Scáthach.[6][7]
The Sgùrr Dearg and its Inaccessible PinnacleA climber on the west ridge of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, taken from near the lower top of Sgùrr Dearg
The Black Cuillin, low mountains mainly composed ofbasalt andgabbro, include 12 peaks the Scots call 'Munros'. This is some of the most dramatic and challenging mountain terrain in Scotland. The ascent ofSgùrr a' Ghreadaidh is one of the longest rock climbs in Britain and theInaccessible Pinnacle is the only peak in Scotland that requires technical climbing skills to reach the summit.[6][8] A full crossing of the Cuillin ridge may take 15–20 hours to complete.[9]
