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Outer Hebrides by the Minch and Little Minch. At Kyle Rhea and Kyleakin, on the western end of Loch Alsh, the channel is only about a m. wide, and there is a See also:

ferry at both points. The length of the island from S.E. to N.W. is 482 m., but its See also:

COAST (from Lat. costa, a rib, side)

coast is deeply indented, so that no See also:

PART

part of the interior is more than 5 M. from the See also:

sea. It has a See also:

TOTAL

total See also:

AREA

area of 411,703 acres or 643 sq. m. From 20,627 in 1821 its See also:

POPULATION (Lat. populus, people; populare, to populate)

population had grown to 23,082 in 1841, but since that date it has steadily diminished and was 15,763 in 1891, and in 1901 only 13,833 (or 21 to the sq. m.), 2858 of whom spoke Gaelic only and 9837 Gaelic and See also:

ENGLISH

English. The See also:

CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief arms of the sea are Lochs Snizort and Dunvegan in the N., Loch Bracadale in the W., Lochs Scavaig and Eishort in the S. and Loch Sligachan in the E. The mountains generally assume commanding and picturesque shapes. The jagged See also:

mass of the Cuillins (Coolins) dominates the view whether by See also:

LAND

land or sea. Their highest point is Sgurr na Banachdich (3234 ft.), and at least six other peaks exceed 3000 ft. To the See also:

north of Loch' Slapili stands the See also:

GROUP

group of Red Hills, of which the highest points are See also:

BEN (from Old Eng. bennan, within)

Ben Caillich (2403) and Ben Dearg More (2323 ft.), and north of See also:

Lord See also:

Macdonald's See also:

FOREST

forest near Loch Ainort rises Ben Glamaig (2537 ft.). About 8 m.

N. of Portree is the curious basaltic group of the Storr (2360), consisting of pinnacles and towers, the most remarkable of which, " The Old See also:

Man," forms a landmark for sailors. Towards the north of the island, not far from Staffin See also:

Bay, is Quiraing (1779 ft.), a basaltic mass with a variety of See also:

QUAINT (O. Fr. cointe, from Lat. cognitus, known, probably influenced by association with Lat. corn plus, neat)

quaint shapes, of which the best known are " The See also:

NEEDLE (O. Eng. ncedl; the word appears in various forms in Teutonic languages, Ger. Nadel, Dutch naal, the root being ne-, to sew, cf. Ger. nahen, and probably Lat. nere, to spin, Gr. vi)ats, spinning)

Needle," " The See also:

PRISON (derived through the Fr. from the Lat. prehensio, seizure)

Prison " and " The Table," the last named a See also:

plateau of level See also:

TURF

turf 1500 ft. above sea-level, measuring 120 ft. by 6o ft. In the See also:

peninsula of Duirinish are the two circular hills of Healaval More (1538 ft.) and Healaval Beg (16oi), usually styled " See also:

Macleod's Tables," while the two pyramidal rocks rising out of the sea, near the southernmost point of Duirinish, are called " Macleod's Maidens." The only important See also:

lake is the See also:

WILD, JONATHAN (c. 1682-1725)

wild and gloomy Loch Coruisk, overshadowed by the precipices of the Cuillin. It is commonly approached by See also:

BOAT (0. Eng. bdt; the true etymological connexion with Dutch and Ger. boot, Fr. bateau, Ital. battello presents great difficulties; Celtic forms are from O. Eng.)

boat from Loch Scavaig, from the See also:

SHORE

shore of which it is about 1 m. distant. It is 1 m. See also:

long by m. broad. The greater part of the island, all the western and central part, is occupied by igneous plateaux consisting of basaltic See also:

LAVA

lava flows of See also:

TERTIARY

Tertiary See also:

AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age alternating with intrusive sills of See also:

DOLERITE (from Gr. SoXepos, deceptive)

dolerite; they are penetrated by numerous basic dikes and by a smaller number of See also:

ACID (from the Lat. root ac-, sharp; acere, to be sour)

acid ones. The Cuillin hills owe their striking features to the intrusion of a See also:

GREAT

great laccolitic mass of See also:

GABBRO

gabbro within the basalts. See also:

East of these hills a large area is covered by acid intrusions—See also:

GRANITE (adapted from the Ital. granite, grained; Lat. granum, grain)

granite See also:

FELSITE

felsite, &c.—including the Red Hills, Marsco and Glamaig. The western portion of the island has suffered the disturbances of the N.W. highland thrusting. See also:

TORRIDONIAN

Torridonian rocks occupy the whole of Sleat, with the exception of a See also:

STRIP

strip between the Point of Sleat and Ormsay Island which is composed of See also:

DALRADIAN

Dalradian See also:

SCHISTS (Gr. vxq'ecv, to split)

schists. In the north of Sleat the Torridonian Sandstones have been thrust on See also:

TOP (cf. Dan. top, Ger. Topf, also meaning pot)

top of See also:

CAMBRIAN

Cambrian Durness limestones. Soay is wholly Torridonian.

In the narrow part of the island between Broadford Bay on the N.E. and Lochs Staffin, Eishart and Scavaig on the S.W., and in a narrow strip on the east coast, also in Loch Bay, there is an interesting See also:

SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series of Mesozoic rocks beginning with Triassic conglomerates and marls, and passing upwards through See also:

RHAETIC (Fr. Rhetien or Rhcetien; Ger. Rhdt or Rhktisch; It. Retico)

Rhaetic, See also:

LOWER

Lower See also:

LIAS

Lias (Broadford Bay), See also:

MIDDLE

Middle Lias and Upper Lias (Strathaird, Portsea, See also:

Prince Charlie's See also:

COVE

Cove), to beds representing the Great Oolite and See also:

Oxford See also:

Clay (Loch Staffin, Uig, &c.). A See also:

LIGNITE (Lat. lignum, wood)

lignite See also:

bed of Tertiary age has been worked in a small way at Portsea, and diatomite is excavated from some See also:

ancient lake deposits at Loch Cuithir, Loch Monkstadt, Loch Mealt and other places. There is abundant See also:

EVIDENCE (Lat. evidentia, evideri, to appear clearly)

evidence of glacial See also:

ACTION

action on the lower ground. The rainfall amounts to 8o in. for the See also:

YEAR

year. The mean temperature for the year is 470.5 F., for See also:

JANUARY

January 39°'5 F. and for See also:

JULY

July 56°•5 F. Most of the land is See also:

MOOR

moor and See also:

hill pasture, with cultivated patches here and there, chiefly on Lochs Snizort and Bracadale, the Sound of Sleat, Kyleakin and Portree. The crofters do best with turnips and potatoes. The See also:

CLIMATE

climate is better adapted for See also:

sheep and See also:

CATTLE (Norman Fr. catel, from Late Lat. capitale, wealth or property, a word applied in the feudal system to movable property and particularly to live stock, and surviving in its wider meaning as " chattel " or " chattle ")

cattle (See also:

West Highland) than for crops, and the sheep farms include some of the finest in Scotland and carry famous See also:

STOCKS

stocks, principally See also:

black-faced with some Cheviots. The See also:

CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition of the crofters, which was pitiable in the extreme, has been improved by the Crofters' Holdings See also:

ACT (Lat. actus, actum)

Act of 1886. The old black huts have been replaced, in those parishes where See also:

stone is obtainable, by well-built houses. Between 1840 and 188o ejection had certainly been carried to great lengths,and, in consequence of the See also:

EMIGRATION (from Lat. emigrare; e, ex, out of, and migrare, to depart)

emigration that followed, was mainly responsible for the serious decline of the population. The See also:

RAILWAYS

railways to Strome Ferry, Kyle of Loch Alsh and MVlallaig, by rendering markets more accessible, effected an improvement in the See also:

FISHERIES

fisheries, which have always been a mainstay of the inhabitants.

The fisheries include See also:

HERRING (Clupea harengus, Haring in German, le hareng in French, sill in Swedish)

herring, See also:

cod, See also:

LING, PER HENRIK (1776-1839)

ling and See also:

salmon, and oysters are reared in some places. See also:

SEALS

Seals are not uncommon' at certain points, but the See also:

WALRUS, or MORSE (Odobaenus rosmarus)

walrus and sperm See also:

WHALE

whale, once occasional visitants, are now rarely if ever seen. It is significant of the See also:

CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change in the circumstances of the See also:

PEOPLE

people that recruiting is now sluggish, though once Skye supplied more soldiers to the See also:

BRITISH

British See also:

army than any other area of similar See also:

SIZE

size and population. See also:

WHISKY, or WHISKEY

Whisky is distilled at several places, the. Talisker See also:

brand of the distillery at Carbost, on the western shore of Loch Harport, being *ell known. The inhabited isles 'off the coast of Skye are mainly situated near the eastern shore. Of these the See also:

PRINCIPAL

principal is Raasay (pop. 419). Brochel See also:

Castle, now a ruin, stands on the eastern coast. The island is 13 M. long, by about 32 m, at its widest. Off its north-western shore lies the isle of Flodda. To the north of 12aasay, separated by a narrow strait, is See also:

South Rona (See also:

Seal Island, from the Gaelic ron, a seal), 41 in. long with a maximum breadth of r 4 'm., and is a lighthouse, the See also:

LIGHT

light of which is visible for 21 M.

Scalpay, immediately south of Raasay, has a hill of 1298 ft., and the Sound of Scalpay, parting it from the mainland, abounds with oysters, The other isles are Pabbay in Broadford Bay, Ornsay in the Sound of Sleat, and Soay near Loch Scavaig. Portree (pop. 872), the See also:

capital, lies at the See also:

head of a See also:

FINE

fine See also:

HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

harbour about the middle of the eastern seaboard. Steamers run daily in connexion with the See also:

MAIL

mail See also:

TRAIN (M. Eng. trayn or trayne, derived through Fr. from Late Lat. trahinare, to drag, draw, Lat. trahere, cf. trail, trace, ultimately from the same source)

train at Mallaig, and there is, besides, other communication by steamer with See also:

OBAN

Oban and other ports on the mainland and in the islands. Among the buildings in the See also:

TOWN

town are the Episcopal See also:

church of St See also:

COLUMBA, SAINT (Irish, Colum)

Columba, erected in 2884 to the memory of See also:

Bishop See also:

George R. Mackarness, the See also:

Ross Cottage See also:

HOSPITAL (Lat. haspitalis, the adjective of hospes, host or guest)

Hospital, the See also:

COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

Combination poorhouse and the See also:

court-See also:

house, and there is a factory for tweeds, plaids, carpets and other woollens. The exports are principally sheep, cattle, See also:

WOOL, WORSTED AND WOOLLEN MANUFACTURES

wool, salmon and other. See also:

fish. The name, of the town was derived from the fact that See also:

James V. landed there on the occasion of his tour in the Western See also:

HIGHLANDS, THE

Highlands. The See also:

PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place thus became, in Gaelic, See also:

PORT

Port-an Righ, or the See also:

King's Harbour. It was to Portree that See also:

FLORA

Flora Macdonald (1722-1790) conducted Prince See also:

Charles See also:

EDWARD

Edward when he escaped from Benbecula, Prince Charlie's See also:

Cave is situated on the coast about 5 m. north of the harbour. Among other places in Skye associated with the See also:

Young Pretender are Prince Charles's Point near Monkstadt, on the west of the peninsula of Trotternish, where he landed with Flora Macdonald, and See also:

KINGS, FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF

Kings-See also:

burgh, on the eastern shore of Loch Snizort. The castle at Dun-vegan, of the Macleods of Macleod, was erected in the 9th See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century and extended by later chieftains, especially by Alastair Crotach, br the Humpback, in 1458; and by Rory (See also:

RODERICK

Roderick) More, who was knighted by James VI.

Built on a rocky promontory which is difficult of See also:

ACCESS (Lat. accessus)

access, the fortress must have been almost impregnable in the era of See also:

CLAN (Gaelic clann, O. Ir. cland, connected with Lat. planta, shoot or scion, the ancient Gaelic or Goidelic substituting k for p)

clan warfare. Among the interesting See also:

RELICS (Lat, reliquiae, the equivalent of the English " remains " in the sense of a dead body)

relics preserved in it are the See also:

FAIRY (Fr. fee, faerie; Prov. facia; Sp. hada; Ital. fata; med. Lat. fatare, to enchant, from Lat. fatum, fate, destiny)

Fairy See also:

FLAG (or " FLAGGE," a common Teutonic word in this sense, but apparently first recorded in English)

Flag, a yellow See also:

SILK

silk banner captured from a Saracen See also:

general by a crusading Macleod, and Rory More's drinking-See also:

horn, which held two quarts and had to be drained at a single See also:

DRAUGHT (from the common Teutonic word " to draw "; cf. Ger. 7'racht, load; the pronunciation led to the variant form " draft," now confined to certain specific meanings)

draught by the new chief before he could wield authority. The MacCrimmons, the famous See also:

RACE

race of hereditary pipers, hailed from this See also:

QUARTER (through Fr. from Lat. quartarius, fourth part)

quarter of Skye and were attached to the Macleods of Dunvegan. At Duntulm is the ancient castle of the Macdonalds, another of the great Skye chieftains. See also:

Close to it is the Hill of Pleas, where, in former days, the chieftain sat dispensing See also:

JUSTICE (Lat. justitia)

justice in the See also:

FASHION (adapted from Fr. facon, agon, Lat. factio, making, facere, to do or make)

fashion of See also:

PRIMITIVE

primitive times. The See also:

MODERN

modern seat of Lord Macdonald is Armadale Castle, a fine See also:

GOTHIC

Gothic See also:

MANSION (through O. Fr. mansion, mod. maison, from Lat. mansio, dwelling-place, stage on a journey; manere, to remain)

mansion on the shore of the Sound of Sleat.

End of Article: SKYE

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