Skyecomuseum

EXPERTS have confirmed that a new species of marina reptile, similar to a dolphin, swam in Trotternish waters, 170 million years ago. The creature measured up to 14-feet from snout to tail, and inhabited warm, shallow seas in Skye during the Jurassic Period. They were near the top of the food chain at the time and preyed on fish and other reptiles. The species was identified by fossils found several decades ago at Bearreraig Bay, near the Storr Lochs.
In what is understood to ...

EXPERIENCED runners are being invited to enter a hugely demanding 17-mile race in Staffin this summer. 
The Skye and Lochalsh Running Club is seeking entrants to enter the Trotternish Ridge Race which takes in some of Staffin’s most well-known landmarks, including the Quiraing, and sees competitors tackle an approximate 6000-ft ascent.
The annual ridge race, which is limited to 75 runners, starts at Flodigarry. The ridge skirts right round Staffin and separates it from the other side of Trotternish. All runners must be over 18-years-old ...

THE amount of money Staffin residents could access when building a new house on croft ground could increase – but only if they make their voices heard. 
The Scottish Government’s Croft House Grant Scheme (CHGS) currently offers a a maximum £17,000 grant to people looking to build a new home or repair a croft house in the community.
However, the grant has remained static for a decade despite inflation and increased construction prices.
The government has now launched a 12-week national consultation into the key ...

AS THE sun sets on 2014, everybody at the Staffin Trust would like to wish an early Bliadhna Mhath Ùr.
Happy New Year to everybody living in Staffin, our diaspora spread far and wide, our neighbouring communities in Skye and all the organisations which support our range of projects.
2014 was a year of good progress for the Trust, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in August, and our membership has now swollen to 50 people who live permanently in Staffin, ...

AS 2014 draws to a close, Staffin has again come out on top of the charts as the top rated visitor destination in Skye.
Four hugely popular and internationally renowned Staffin landmarks, which annually attract thousands of people, have all appeared in the top 15 of the world’s most popular travel website.
Right at the top of Trip Advisor’s most highly rated Skye visitor attractions is the majestic Quiraing, which has more than 400 glowing reviews, all of which are either “excellent” or “very good”, ...

AS the final furlong of Christmas shopping approaches, another popular Staffin business has gone “live” on the district’s website.

And Skyelight Candles knew it made perfect scents to be featured on the Staffin Trust website, which launched its new Business Directory earlier this month.
Chief candle-creators Nick Wakeham and Kevin Topping who have made their name through innovative and hand-made products, which include heather and peat-scented candles, are the second local firm to appear on the listings page after The ...

THE owners of Flodigarry Hotel – who are in the middle of a £1million refurbishment – have encountered some ghostly goings on.
Paul and Bette Temming have reported paranormal activity in the historic hotel since they took over last year.
Shortly after their arrival the Dutch couple said they encountered a maid and a policeman who were “friendly”. During the ambitious upgrade, which has seen walls stripped back bare, the Temmings have noticed the level of activity to have escalated ...

STAFFIN, like the rest of the west Highlands, has been battered by gales and heavy rain in a period of weather dubbed a “weatherbomb”.
Both the Kilmartin and Brogaig rivers were deluged with water, while drains and other watercourses were struggling to cope  with the volume of rain, and overflowed in some areas. Two cargo vessels were anchored near to the Slipway presumably seeking shelter.
A flood alert warning of coastal flooding in Skye was issued by the Scottish Environment and Protection Agency. ...

A POPULAR quilting firm in Staffin has become the first to be featured on a new online business directory.
The Wee Quilter, run by Wendy Higgins, has become the very first business entry on the Staffin Community Trust website.
The Trust’s directors saw the creation of a one-stop website which can promote the array of Staffin’s businesses and help the local economy attract new custom as a key objective. The website was only launched in September and there has been heavy online traffic ...

 
A PUBLIC call for potential affordable housing sites in Staffin has ended, as the next stage in the efforts to encourage the construction of new homes begins.
The Staffin Community Trust had issued the call locally following the publication of a report into the housing needs of the district.
The Highlands Small Housing Communities Trust had researched the issues and presented the report, which concluded there was a demand for new affordable homes in Staffin, in September.
Both of Staffin’s national ...

 
PET owners have been warned to keep their animals on leads near cliff tops after a dog died at the Kilt Rock.
HM Coastguard responded to a 999 call on Friday (Nov 28) that a cocker spaniel had run over the top of the cliff, which attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Rescue teams from Portree and Dunvegan, plus the Portree RNLI crew, raced to the scene.
A coastguard member was lowered down the 200-ft cliff in the search for ...

STAFFIN youngsters have been invited take part in a festive parade and big Christmas tree switch on.
This year’s Christmas tree in Portree will be illuminated on Monday night (December 1).
Any children who wish to participate in the lantern parade before the switch on should meet at the Portree Community Centre at 5.30pm. The youth pipe band will then lead the procession to Somerled Square for the start of the Christmas festivities.
There will be entertainment in Somerled Square before the lights ...

A DUNTULM man who has strong Staffin ties is the Skye Camanachd Player of the Year.
Ally MacDonald from Aird received the coveted honour for the 2014 season at the club’s annual awards dinner dance in Portree at the weekend.
Skye won the Marine Harvest North Division One this season, eight points clear of their nearest challengers Newtonmore.
Ally, a defender, has been a stalwart in the first team this season and was one of only two players to not miss a ...

YOUNG people in Trotternish are being urged to provide a creative spark in their own community.
The Highland Youth Arts Hub (HYAH), backed by the national agency Creative Scotland, is seeking entrants for an exciting new project called Creative in Your Community.
It aims to encourage young people to get involved in creative activity and wants to support those aged between 12 and 25-years-old develop their own project, within their own district.They would be supported by experienced figures from the arts ...

MOVES to set up an emergency First Responders scheme and a new gym in Staffin have taken important steps forward, it has emerged.
The very latest updates on both unconnected developments are documented in the latest edition of the Staffin Autumn Newsletter which can be read online or hardcopies picked up from the two shops, the Post Office and Columba 1400.
The community council has worked hard with the Scottish Ambulance Service to investigate the appetite within the district for ...