Skye and the Small Isles - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 276

The Duirinish peninsula
Much of the Duirinish peninsula , west of Dunvegan, is inaccessible to all except walkers
prepared to scale or skirt the area's twin flat-topped basalt peaks: Healabhal Bheag (1600ft)
and Healabhal Mhor (1538ft). The mountains are better known as MacLeod's Tables - the
story goes that the MacLeod chief held a royal feast on the lower of the two for James V.

5

Glen Dale
West from Loch Dunvegan, the broad, green sweep of Glen Dale feels instantly wilder
after Dunvegan. Its moment in history came in 1882, when local crofters staged a rent
strike against their landlords, the MacLeods. Five locals, who became known as the
“Glen Dale Martyrs”, were given two-month prison sentences and in 1904 the crofters
became the first owner-occupiers in the Highlands.

Colbost Folk Museum
Colbost village • Easter-Oct daily 10am-6pm • £1.50 • T 01470 521 2016
Local history plus information about nineteenth-century crofting is told through news
cuttings in this restored blackhouse, four miles up the road from Dunvegan. A guide is
usually on hand to answer questions and the peat fire is often lit.

The west coast of Duirinish
A bumpy road leads up the west coast of Duirinish to Ramasaig, continuing five
miles to the deserted village of Lorgill where, on August 4, 1830, every crofter was
ordered to board the Midlothian in Loch Snizort to go to Nova Scotia or go to prison
(those over the age of 70 were sent to the poorhouse). It's a great place for walkers,
though, with easy, blustery footpaths to Neist Point , Skye's most westerly spot, a
spectacular end-of-the-world headland with high sea cliffs, and wonderful views to
the Western Isles.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMAT ION THE DUIRINISH PENINSULA

By bus Buses go to Colbost from Portree via Dunvegan
(Mon-Fri 2 daily; 1hr 15min).

Tourist information A useful website on the area is
W glendaleskye.com.

ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
Carter's Rest 8/9 Upper Milovaig, 4 miles west of
Colbost T 01470 511272, W cartersrestskye.co.uk. Little
touches like a digital radio impress almost as much as
furnishings such as a wooden sleigh bed in this luxury four-
star B&B with astonishing coast vie ws. It prepares evening
meals for guests in shoulder months. £85
Ì Red Roof Gallery Holmisdale, 3 miles west
of Colbost T 01470 511766. This award-winning little
café owned by an artist-musician couple has a loyal
fan base for its superb lunches (average £5-8) of local
cheese or seafood platters with home-made breads, plus

home-baking with great coffee. Sun-Fri 11am-5pm.
Ì Three Chimneys Colbost T 01470 511258, W three
chimneys.co.uk. A gourmet restaurant at the vanguard of
Skye's foodie revolution which has been ranked among the
world's best dining experiences. Seven Courses of Skye
menus (£90) offer exquisite seafood plus unfussy mains like
blackface lamb with rosemary maize. Shorter, cheaper
menus also available. Reservations essential. Mid-March
to Oct Mon-Sat 12.15-1.45pm & 6-9p m; also open for
Sun lunch in high season. Doubles £295

Waternish
Waternish is a backwater by Skye's standards. Though not as spectacular as Duirinish or
Trotternish it provides equally good views over to the Western Isles, and with fewer
visitors, feels appealingly remote. To reach the peninsula, you cross the Fairy Bridge
(Beul-Ath nan Tri Allt or “Ford of the Three Burns”), at the junction of the B886. Legend
has it the fourth MacLeod clan chief was forced to say farewell to his fairy wife here when
she had to return to her kind - her parting gift was the Fairy Flag (see p.278).