Isle of Skye UK relief location map labels

Trotternish or Tròndairnis (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

) is the northernmost

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

of 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 ...

, in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Its most northerly point, Rubha Hùinis, is the most northerly point of Skye. One of the peninsula's better-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...

that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some .

Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg , logo_width = 240px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , di ...

''Landranger'' 1:50000 Map. Sheet 23. North Skye, Dunvegan & Portree. The landslip contains two of Skye's most famous landmarks: the Old Man of Storr, an isolated rocky pinnacle, and the

Quiraing The Quiraing ( gd, A' Chuith-Raing) is a landslip on the eastern face of , the northernmost summit of the Trotternish on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips; the Qu ...

, an area of dramatic and unusual rock formations. The summit of

The Storr The Storr ( gd, An Stòr) is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west. Geology ...

, on whose slopes the Old Man of Storr is located, is the highest point of the peninsula. The north-eastern part of the peninsula around Quiraing is designated as a National Scenic Area and the entire landslip is a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

. Dinosaur footprints have been found at ''An Corran'', which is also a

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...

site dating to the 7th millennium BC. The ruins of the 14th–15th-century

Duntulm Castle Duntulm Castle stands ruined on the north coast of Trotternish, on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, near the hamlet of Duntulm. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Sleat. It is a scheduled monument. Histor ...

stand at the northern end of the peninsula. The three major settlements on Trotternish are

Portree Portree (; gd, Port Rìgh, ) is the largest town on, and capital of, the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-155. It is the location for the only secondary school o ...

, generally regarded as the capital of Skye, Uig, a ferry terminus, and

Staffin Staffin ( gd, Stafain) is a district with the Gaelic name ''An Taobh Sear'', which translates as "the East Side", on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portre ...

. Trotternish is the strongest Gaelic-speaking area of Skye.

Geography and natural history

Trotternish is underlain by

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

, which provides relatively rich soils and a variety of unusual rock features. The Kilt Rock is named after the

tartan Tartan ( gd, breacan ) is a patterned cloth consisting of criss-crossed, horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Sc ...

-like patterns in the cliffs. The

is a spectacular series of

rock pinnacle A pinnacle, tower, spire, needle or natural tower (german: Felsnadel, ''Felsturm'' or ''Felszinne'') in geology is an individual column of rock, isolated from other rocks or groups of rocks, in the shape of a vertical shaft or spire. Examples ar ...

s on the eastern side of the main spine of the peninsula and further south is the rock pillar of the Old Man of Storr. While having many vertical heights, the area is mainly unsuitable for rock-climbing due to the friable rock. At ''An Corran'' near Staffin a local resident found a slab bearing a dinosaur track, probably made by a small

ornithopod Ornithopoda () is a clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, called ornithopods (), that started out as small, bipedal running grazers and grew in size and numbers until they became one of the most successful groups of herbivores in the Cretaceous wo ...

. Experts subsequently found more dinosaur prints of up to 50 cm, the largest found in Scotland, made by a creature similar to ''

Megalosaurus ''Megalosaurus'' (meaning "great lizard", from Greek , ', meaning 'big', 'tall' or 'great' and , ', meaning 'lizard') is an extinct genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period (Bathonian stage, 166 million years ...

''. At about 160 million years old they are the youngest dinosaur remains to be found in Scotland.

Conservation designations

The north-eastern part of the peninsula around Quiraing is designated as the Trotternish National Scenic Area, one of the forty such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The designated area covers 7,919 ha in total, of which 6,128 ha is on land, with a further 1789 ha being marine (i.e. below low tide level, and covering the seas to the east of the peninsula). The entire length of the Trotternish landslip is protected as a

(SAC) under the Natura 2000 programme, and classified as a Category IV

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

History

hunter-gatherer site dating to the 7th millennium BC at in

is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Scotland. The site continued to be used over many millennia with human bones radiocarbon-dated to the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

(dated to around 3500BC) and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

(dated to between 2560 and 2150 BC) periods and a copper-alloy pin from the Late

/Early

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

being found, as well as more modern 19th-20th century materials. Its Mesolithic occupation is probably linked to that of the rock shelter at

Sand, Applecross Sand on the Applecross Peninsula in Wester Ross, Scotland, is an archaeological site. Sand is the site of a major archaeological excavation on the Inner Sound coast of the Applecross Peninsula in Western Scotland, to the north of the small tow ...

, on the mainland coast of

Wester Ross Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to the ...

where tools made of a

mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology. ...

from have been found. Surveys of the area between the two shores of the Inner Sound and Sound of Raasay have revealed 33 sites with potentially Mesolithic deposits. The ruined

stands on a promontory at the northern end of the peninsula, near the hamlet of Duntulm.T. Marsh. ''The Isle of Skye''. Cicerone. . pp. 234-236. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of

Clan MacDonald of Sleat A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meanin ...

, and is a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

. The castle is believed to stand on the site of a prehistoric

broch A broch is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. Brochs belong to the classification "complex Atlantic roundhouse" devised by Scottish archaeologists in the 1980s. Their origin is a matter of some controversy. Origin ...

dun A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse. Etymology The term comes from Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), and is cognat ...

known as ''Dun David'', or ''Dun Dhaibhidh'', although no archaeological evidence has been found for this predecessor. The castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries, when the area was subject to feuds between the rival

MacLeod MacLeod, McLeod and Macleod ( ) which cited: are surnames in the English language. Generally, the names are considered to be Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic ', meaning "son of '". One of the earliest occurrences of the surname is of Gi ...

and Macdonald clans, and was abandoned around 1732, when Sir Alexander MacDonald built a new residence, Monkstadt House, to the south. Between 1750 and 1772,

Flodigarry Flodigarry ( gd, Flòdaigearraidh) is a scattered settlement on the north east side of the Trotternish peninsula on the island of Skye, and is in the Scottish council area of Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a ...

, north of Staffin, was the home of

Flora MacDonald Flora MacDonald ( Gaelic: ''Fionnghal nic Dhòmhnaill'', 1722 - 5 March 1790) was a member of Clan Macdonald of Sleat, best known for helping Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Her famil ...

, the Jacobite made famous by her part in

Charles Edward Stuart Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...

's escape after his defeat at Culloden. She later moved to Kingsburgh on the southwestern coast of Trotternish, and it was here that Boswell and

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

met her during their tour of the Western Isles in 1773. Johnson, who held Jacobite views when younger, commented that she was a woman of "soft features, gentle manners, and elegant presence".

Gaelic

In terms of number of speakers, Trotternish is the strongest Gaelic-speaking area of Skye. In the 2001 census, 61% of the population returned as Gaelic speakers, there are Gaelic-medium units in the

and Kilmuir primary schools, and the area is the focus of one of

Comunn na Gàidhlig Comunn na Gàidhlig (), abbreviated to "CnaG", is an organisation which seeks to promote Scottish Gaelic language and culture. History Comunn na Gàidhlig was founded in 1984 by the Scottish Office to co-ordinate new developments in Gaelic langua ...

's Gaelic development initiatives, ''Lasair''. In 2010, Comunn na Gàidhlig named Staffin as their Gaelic Community of the Year.

Transport

The main road in Trotternish is the A87, which runs between Portree at the southern end of the peninsula and Uig on the northwest coast. Uig marks the northwestern terminus of the A87, with its southeastern terminus being the junction with the A82 at

Invergarry Invergarry ( gd, Inbhir Garadh) is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich Loch Oich (; gd, Loch Omhaich) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms p ...

, to the north of Fort William. The

A855 road List of A roads in zone 8 in Great Britain starting north of the A8 and west of the A9 (roads beginning with 8). Single- and double-digit roads Triple-digit roads Four-digit roads See also * B roads in Zone 8 of the Great Britain numbe ...

also links Portree and Uig, taking a route along the eastern coast and around the northern end of the peninsula: the two roads thus combine to encircle Trotternish. A minor road also crosses the peninsula, passing between Uig and Staffin via the Quiraing. Portree is the terminus for

Scottish Citylink Scottish Citylink is a long-distance express coach operator in Scotland and Ireland (where it operates as Irish Citylink) and England (where it operates as Stansted Citylink). The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group i ...

buses from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Buchanan bus station Buchanan bus station is the main bus terminus in Glasgow, Scotland. The bus station is the terminus for journeys between the city and other towns and cities in Scotland, as well as long-distance services to other parts of the United Kingdom ...

and

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

, with some services continuing on to Uig. Uig serves as the ferry terminal for

Caledonian MacBrayne Caledonian MacBrayne ( gd, Caledonian Mac a' Bhriuthainn), usually shortened to CalMac, is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries, and ferry services, between the mainland of Scotland and 22 of the major islands on Scotland's west ...

services to

Tarbert Tarbert ( gd, An Tairbeart) is a place name in Scotland and Ireland. Places named Tarbert are characterised by a narrow strip of land, or isthmus. This can be where two lochs nearly meet, or a causeway out to an island. Etymology All placenames ...

Harris Harris may refer to: Places Canada * Harris, Ontario * Northland Pyrite Mine (also known as Harris Mine) * Harris, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Harris No. 316, Saskatchewan Scotland * Harris, Outer Hebrides (sometimes called the Isle of ...

and

Lochmaddy Lochmaddy ( gd, Loch nam Madadh, "Loch of the Hounds") is the administrative centre of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. ''Na Madaidhean'' (the wolves/hounds) are rocks in the bay after which the loch, and subsequently the village, are ...

North Uist North Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Tuath; sco, North Uise) is an island and community in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Etymology In Donald Munro's ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland Called Hybrides'' of 1549, North Uist, Benbecula and ...

, providing links with the

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...

Settlements in Trotternish

Achachork Achachork (Scottish Gaelic: Achadh a' Choirce) is a small village in the Scottish council area of the Highland. It is lies on the A855 road to the north of Portree in the east of the Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, A ...

* Bornesketaig *

Brogaig Brogaig ( gd, Brògaig), Norse for Burgh Bay, is a small coastal village, on the northwest coast of the Trotternish peninsula, close to Staffin and Stenscholl, in the Isle of Skye in Scotland and is in the council area of Highland Highlands o ...

Carbost Carbost (Gaelic: Càrrabost) is the name of several settlements: *Carbost, Loch Harport, Isle of Skye, in Highland, Scotland * Carbost, Trotternish, near Portree, Isle of Skye, in Highland, Scotland *Carabost, New South Wales Carabost is a fore ...

* Duntulm * Ellishadder * Eyre *

* Garafad *

Kensaleyre Kensaleyre ( gd, Ceann Sàil Eighre) is a scattered crofting township, part of a group of settlements clustered around the A87 road on the shore of Loch Snizort Beag on the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye in the Highlands and Island ...

* Kilmaluag * Kilmuir * Kilvaxter * Kingsburgh * Lealt *

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 ...

* Tote * Uig

Gallery

File:Scotland Skye Trotternish.jpg, Blackhouse in The Skye Museum of Island Life on Trotternish File:The Storr by Grinner.jpg, The Storr File:Mealt Waterfall with Kilt Rock, Isle of Skye.jpg, Mealt waterfall at Ellishadder, with Kilt Rock behind

Notes

{{Skye Landforms of the Isle of Skye Peninsulas of Scotland National scenic areas of Scotland Protected areas of Highland (council area) Landforms of Highland (council area)