Come to the Island, A Warm Welcome Awaits You
SKYE BOAT SONG
Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward, the sailors cry
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.
– Words by Sir Harold Boulton,1884
[The first half of the Skye Boat Song is said to be an old sea shanty. The other half is attributed to Miss Annie MacLeod. Charles Edward Stewart, the Young Pretender, was defeated by the Duke of Cumberland on Culloden Moor in 1746. Aided by Flora MacDonald, Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to the island of Skye. He was later taken by a French vessel to Morlaix on the coast of Bretagne.]
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| EILEAN DONAN CASTLE - The castle possesses a rare and dreamlike quality and is set in a superbly romantic setting at the meeting point of three lochs. |
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
The Island of Skye, situated on the west coast of mainland Scotland, is the largest and best known of the Inner Hebrides. Sometimes referred to in Gaelic poetry and song as Eilean a Cheo (The Misty Isle), Skye is renowned for its natural beauty, history and wildlife.
The Cuillin Hills, the Red Hills and Blaven have long been favourites with climbers and walkers. But if high places are not what you fancy, the deeply indented coastline means you are never far from the sea. The sheltered waters of the inland lochs and sea inlets contrast with the wild Atlantic that crashes onto the coast in more exposed places. Skye’s cultural heritage is a fascinating mix of Celtic and Norse traditions, kept very much alive by the present generation.
As you travel around the island it’s not unusual to hear Scottish Gaelic being spoken, the indigenous language of the area. Gaelic culture and heritage pervade the atmosphere, each part of the island having its own tales of times past and plans for the future.
There are many fascinating castles and ruins to explore, one such castle is, Eilean Donan Castle. In a superbly romantic setting, the castle possesses a rare and dreamlike quality. Yet, standing like a lone sentinel on its rocky promontory at the meeting point of three sea lochs – Loch Long, Loch Duich and Loch Alsh – it is, in reality, a fortress of solid stone and formidable defences.
The beginnings of Eilean Donan Castle reach back into the early mists of time. At the beginning of the Seventh Century St. Donan (d. 618) lived on the island as a religious hermit. The name “Eilean Donan” means “Island of Donan.” This was the period when Christianity was first introduced to the Western Isles.
Traditionally, it is believed that in the early part of the Fourteenth Century Robert the Bruce, out of favour with many of the clan chiefs as well as being hunted by the English, was given refuge in Eilean Donan Castle by John MacKenzie, Second of Kintail.
There are three routes that you can take to get onto this wild and beautiful misty isle of Skye. From the west coast of Scotland, you can cross by the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, by ferry from Gleneig, or by ferry from Mallaig.
I recently spoke with Anne Gracie, who is a native of Skye and a Gaelic speaker. She and her husband Kenneth own and operate the Toravaig House Hotel at Sleat on the Isle of Skye. Anne is no stranger to the hospitality business, having spent many years running a busy guest house and catering business in north Skye. Kenneth is a sea captain, having had a full sea career, the last six years as captain of a small luxury cruise ship sailing mainly off the coast of Britain, Norway and Ireland.
Both Anne and Kenneth are now concentrating on establishing a unique country house hotel at Toravaig House Hotel, which they bought in 2003. They must be doing a fantastic job of it, because in two short years they have been awarded Scottish Island Hotel of the Year 2005. And, if that wasn’t excitement enough, they have also been awarded the Johansens Most Excellent Service in the U.K. award. Pretty impressive stuff.
The Isle of Skye has a population of approximately 10,000 and much of the local income is from the tourism industry. Anne Gracie said, “there are many hotels and bed and breakfasts here, and we have strikingly beautiful scenery with a lot of outdoor activities. We have an island museum, a heritage centre, and historical ruins and castles to explore.
“Our beautiful restaurants proudly serve local fresh produce and seafood from the island. At Toravaig House Hotel, we keep the premises very much like a country house hotel where the emphasize is on peace and relaxation.
“The crackling open fire and the home-cooking that is prepared by our two great chefs. We have the very best of Scottish produce, all locally produced and sourced both in fish, seafood and meats. We do duck, venison, lamb and beef steak, along with halibut, fish, sea bass, scallops and lobster.
“We feature a full Scottish breakfast with the famous Isle of Lewis black pudding from the outer Hebrides. Of course, also bacon and eggs, smoked haddock and smoked kippers, all from the sea shore around the Isle of Skye. We also have a continental breakfast with fresh fruit and croissants.
“Actually, we do anything that we think our visitors would like. We offer a lovely oatmeal porridge, which is a traditional Scottish dish, served with Demerara sugar or honey and cream. If anyone would like a little shot of whisky on their porridge, then they are very welcome, even though it’s the morning.”
As you might expect, Anne and Kenneth are always making improvements to Toravaig House Hotel. They have seven double rooms and two twin rooms, and they are busy working on canopies for all the beds, which will make them very special indeed.
Each bedroom is named after an island such as Eriskay, Oronsay and Vatersay. They have also just purchased a lovely new 36-foot yacht, and starting next Easter they will offer yacht trips consisting of day cruises around western Scotland.
“The day trips will be for a duration of seven hours and we will provide a lunch for our residents on the trip,” Anne said. “We feel that our residents would like to come back to the hotel after the cruise and sit by the fire for pre-dinner drinks before their dinner.”
Toravaig House Hotel is also popular for weddings with the actual ceremony taking place at a castle or castle ruin and the meal and accommodations at the hotel. They get quite a lot of overseas bookings for weddings. There is some documentation and a minimum residency requirement for non-residents but anyone interested could contact Anne at the Toravaig for more information.
In closing, Anne Gracie offers a welcome to visitors in her native tongue: Failte gun t-Eilean Sgiathanach. Thig chuin eilean, bith failte a feitheamh oirbh [Translated: Welcome to the Isle of Skye. Come to the island, a warm welcome awaits you.]
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For more information about the Isle of Skye, visit: www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/skye.htm.
For information and bookings at the Toravaig House Hotel, call (011) 44-1471-820-200, e:mail: info@skyehotel.co.uk, or visit their website at: www.skyehotel.co.uk.
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