Edinbane ( Scottish Gaelic: ''An t-Aodann Bàn'' the fair hill-face) is a small village on the island of

Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...

, Scotland.

Location

Edinbane lies on the

A850 road A85 or A-85 may refer to: * Dutch Defence, in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings * Gleaner A85, a combine harvester Roads * A85 road (Scotland) * Quebec Autoroute 85, a Canadian highway part of the Trans-Canada Highway * A85 motorway (France) Th ...

at the foot of the Waternish Peninsula on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

, Scotland, from Portree and from Dunvegan. The name ''An t-Aodann Bàn'' is said to be taken from the white bog cotton plants that can be found on the hill sides. The village is based around the crofts with a small primary school and pottery. Notable buildings in Edinbane village are the former Gesto Hospital (c. 1870), the Edinbane Inn (c. 1900) and Edinbane Lodge, a stone-built hunting lodge built in 1543.

History

There has been a settlement here since before 1600, but it was Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish (1 December 1809, died unmarried in 1869) who founded the village.

Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish

Kenneth McLeod's family had farmed land in the Gesto area of Skye for over 500 years. At the age of 15 he went to India, with his fare paid out and one

golden guinea The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

in his pocket, given him by Mrs MacDonald of Waternish. After a year's work, he took the river boat down to Calcutta. On the way he went ashore and visited a place where an auction of the contents of a sugar factory was in progress. With his precious Guinea, he bought a copper boiler, which he sold in Calcutta for £30. He now returned to the derelict sugar factory and bought it for very little. This set him on the ladder to making a fortune in India planting indigo. Kenneth Macleod of Gesto

Returning to Skye, he endeavoured to buy the tack of Gesto but MacLeod of MacLeod was not prepared to sell. Kenneth then bought Orbost, Isle of Skye, Edinbane, Skirinish, Greshornishy, Tote and

Skeabost Skeabost ( gd, Sgeitheabost) is a township, at the head of the sea loch, Loch Snizort Beag in the southern end of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye in the Scottish Highlands and is in the Scotland, Scottish council area of Highland ...

and much of Portree. He ensured that the village had a tradesman from each of the important crafts. He set up the first hospital on Skye in Edinbane, aptly named Gesto. It is now boarded up. File:Edinbane Lodge in late 1930's.png, Edinbane Lodge in 1930s. Edward Langdale Hilleary on right of picture

Edinbane Lodge

Edinbane Lodge is the oldest

coaching inn The coaching inn (also coaching house or staging inn) was a vital part of Europe's inland transport infrastructure until the development of the railway, providing a resting point ( layover) for people and horses. The inn served the needs of tra ...

on the Isle of Skye, dating from 1543.John MacInnes (2018) ''The Hillearys of Edinbane''. Dunblane: John MacInnes Associates Originally known as Tigh A Linne it operated as one of three change houses for travellers on their way between Portree and Dunvegan. It was purchased by Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish in the 1860s and converted into a hunting lodge. In 1920 the Lodge was purchased by Edward Langdale Hilleary, a wealthy London businessman, and his wife Edith (née Robertson), niece of Kenneth MacLeod. In 1927 Edward Langdale Hilleary constructed a small hydro plant on the Abhainn Coishletter just behind the Lodge. The scheme supplied electricity to the nearby Gesto hospital and also powered the Lodge. Among other uses, Edinbane Lodge has served as the land court for the surrounding area, where people were tried for various offences including sheep rustling and more serious crimes. If found guilty and sentenced to death, the accused were hanged in the garden grounds.

Wind farm fire

On 24–25 April 2019, a major fire burned of forestry at Edinbane wind farm.

References

External links

BBC - Domesday Reloaded - Edinbane, Hebridean TownshipRenewables Map - Edinbane Wind FarmEdinbane Lodge
{{Authority control Populated places in the Isle of Skye