Dunvegan

We are located on the main street of the village of Dunvegan in the Northwest of Skye, an island known around the world for its spectacular scenery and rich heritage. Skye is the second largest island in Scotland, with a population of 9232 according to the 2001 census. It has been called the Winged Isle, referring to the series of peninsulas that jut out from the island, Sleat in the south, then Strathaird, Minginish, Duirinish to the west, Waternish, and Trotternish to the north. Dunvegan is on the A850, part of the Durinish peninsula which stretches out to the west.

So far the two earliest sign of human inhabitance on Skye are a Mesolithic site at An Corran, Staffin in the Trotternish Peninsula, and The High Pasture Cave at Elgol, in the Strathaird Peninsula. It is widely believed that the Inner sound (the strait separating Skye, Raasay and Rhona from Applecross) was occupied by Mesolithic Hunter Gatherers soon after the end of the last glaciation. Both sites can be visited, and more information can be found at the links below.
In much more recent times, the beautiful backdrop our landscape provides has seen many scenes of hardship and violence. The islands history is palpable when one can watch the sun set at Trumpan Church in Waternish, the site of a massacre committed by warring clan against warring clan, or walk through Lorgill, one of many abandoned villages whose inhabitants were evicted in the Highland Clearances of the 19th Century to make way for sheep. Skye’s population went from 23,082 in 1841 census to 15,705 in 1891 census, and had slumped further by 1931 to 9,908. Through all of these tumultuous times, a rich heritage of music, language and stories have survived. Skye has a vibrant musical tradition, with local talents ranging from acclaimed Gaelic singers to live folk band of the year Peatbog Faeries, to Mylo from the south end. Art Galleries are dotted around as well, showcasing everything from pottery to printmaking, photography to paintings. See the links below for more research before you plan your trip.

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/skye/dunvegan/index.html
http://www.visithighlands.com/skye/dunvegan/
http://www.high-pasture-cave.org/
http://www.staffin.net/data/localhistory/geology/corran.htm

The landscape of Dunvegan is dominated by Loch Dunvegan, which provides us with Langoustines, Crab, and Lobsters for our menu, and is home also to a colony of seals, visited by minky whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and even the occasional skate, to name but a few. Look to the south of the peninsula and you are faced with The MacLeod’s Tables, two flat topped mountains , known in Gaelic as Healabhal Mhor and Healabhal Bheag, ‘Mor’ being big, and Beag being wee. Look further south on a clear day and you can see the Black Cuillins in the distance . The Cuillins are famous amongst climbers, and include some of the most challenging mountains in Britain, but there are many walks around Duirinish for the less experienced as well.