Skerray () is a remote small

crofting Crofting (Scottish Gaelic: ') is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production peculiar to the Scottish Highlands, the islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man. Within the 19th-century townships, individual crofts were est ...

hamlet and fishing port on the north coast of

Sutherland Sutherland () is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. The name dates from the Scandinavian Scotland, Viking era when t ...

, Scotland. It is located by road northeast of

Tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

and by road west of

Thurso Thurso (pronounced ; , ) is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudinal s ...

. Skerray is home to a community of artists and a group of tree planters.

Geography

Skerray, whose name means "between the rocks and the sea", is so called because it is situated on a rocky promontory on the Atlantic Ocean between

to the southwest and

Bettyhill Bettyhill () is a village in the parish of Farr, on the north coast of Scotland. Bettyhill lies on the A836 road west of Thurso and from Tongue. It lies from the village of Skerray; its former fishing port was called Navermouth. To the ea ...

to the east. There is an additional location called Skerray to the west. The community is located north of the

A836 road The A836 is a major road entirely within the Highland area of Scotland. It is long and runs from Ross and Cromarty to Caithness, with the majority of its length in Sutherland. At 58.648°N where it passes through East Mey, it is the northernm ...

from Tongue. The nearest local airport and main line rail station are at

Wick Wick most often refers to: * Capillary action ("wicking") ** Candle wick, the cord used in a candle or oil lamp ** Solder wick, a copper-braided wire used to desolder electronic contacts Wick or WICK may also refer to: Places and placenames ...

and

. Skerray is the main village in "Mackay Country", historically attributed to

Clan Mackay Clan Mackay ( ; ) is an ancient and once-powerful Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan from the far north of the Scottish Highlands, but with roots in the old Mormaer of Moray, Kingdom of Moray. They supported Robert I of Scotland, Rober ...

. There are 11 townships in the community, Torrisdale, Achtoty, Lotts, Clashaidy, Clashlevan, Achnabat, Clashbuie, Modsary, Lamigo, Strathanbeg, Strathan, and Slettel, now deserted. To the south are the lakes of Lochan Modsane, Loch na Coit, Lochan nam Burag, Lochan an Tigh-choimhid and Loch Skerray, with Lochan Ruadh to the southwest. Just off the coast of Skerray Bay are Neave Island and Eilean nan Ròn to the northwest. Skerray Bay contains a small harbour and pier. The harbour, situated west of Melvich, has a natural rocky ridge, open to the north. The foundation stone for Port Skerray was laid in October 1894 by the

Duke of Sutherland Duke of Sutherland is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford. A series of marriages to heiresses by members of the Leveson-Gower family made ...

. The Skerray stream, Strathskerray, is approximately in length and empties at the sea.

Economy

Cottage on the road to Skerray harbour - geograph

The Skerray economy, historically based on crofting and fishing, saw dramatic changes in its population, which fell from 500 in 1926 to around 100 by the 1980s. In the late 19th century, the ''North Sea Pilot'' noted that, "At Skerray, Isle Roan, and Torrisdale, 25 boats and 120 men and boys are employed in the fisheries." Skerray has been a crofting community, though with the decline of crofting in this area, dwellings are expected to be converted to holiday homes. A five-year Scottish National Heritage research project that began in 1994 gave some of Skerry's crofters the opportunity to participate in an agricultural and environmental management study in exchange for annual payments. A group of artists live and work in Skerray, as well as the ''A' Chraobh'' ("The Tree") Group which planted the Millennium Forest at Borgie. The economy has expanded to include tourism.

Landmarks

Skerray has a small shop, Jimson's, with an incorporated post office. The main store closed in the early 1960s. The adjacent building to Jimson's is now home to a small art gallery featuring art work from local artists. The hamlet also contains Skerray Village Hall. The main church in Skerray is the Free Church (in the hamlet of Achtoty) and, as of 1988, it was reported to be "just about surviving, having had no minister for four years" but has fallen into a ruined state of repair.

Education

A parochial schoolhouse was built in Skerray in 1836. While primary education remains local, secondary education is provided at Farr High School in Bettyhill.

Tourism

Musical groups from other countries perform in the community hall. Cliffs and inlets along the coastline are explored by sea kayaking enthusiasts.

References

{{Reflist Populated places in Sutherland