A quick quotation

The following is a quotation from John MacDonald, curator of the Skye Museum of Island Life:

"The Island of Skye is among the most remarkable islands in the world. There is probably no other island in Britain about which so much has been written and spoken and which has captured the attention and the love of so many people from every corner of the world. Now, let us give you some facts and background information about our island.

Skye is the largest island in the Inner Hebrides and is about 50 miles long and from 7 to 25 miles broad with a coastline of around 350 miles. Its area is roughly 350,000 acres. The name Skye may be derived from the Norse word Ski - meaning 'cloud', and Ey - meaning 'island'. Many refer to Skye as The Misty Island, and here may lie the origin of the name. From around 8OOAD, the island was under the rule of the Norsemen and to this day many of the villages and townships bear Norse names. Before the era of Scandinavian occupation, the island was in the hands of the Celts whose language and culture outlived the Norse influence and which is still alive throughout the Island. About half of the population of Skye can speak the Gaelic language and the native islanders are very proud of their Celtic heritage. They speak the language every day and there is at present a keen desire among islanders to preserve and strengthen this unique and very precious language."

© John MacDonald 1998

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