Skyecomuseum

A HIGHLY rated Elishadder eatery – which proved popular with a hit TV show –  and a Digg B&B have become the latest to join the new Staffin Business Directory. 
The Elishadder Art Cafe and Quiraing View in Digg are now live on the listings pages under the Food/Drink and Accommodation sections.
The cafe, which only opened three seasons ago, has become one of the most popular in the island and is currently rated number one out of more than 100 Skye cafes/restaurants.
It even proved ...

EYE-CATCHING photographs of Staffin crofing scenes are being sought in an island-wide competition.
Amateur photographers are urged to enter the Skye Agricultural Photo Competition 2015. It could be a picture of cattle eating their silage in a hailstorm, sheep scrabbling up a ledge or a summer image of shearing or the potatoes being planted.
The winner will see their photo featured on the cover of the official programme for the Skye Agricultural Show in August.
 The catalogue is printed by Strathprint. ...

A MUSICIAN is confident he has the bottle for an epic trip all the way from south England to Staffin – in a milk float.
Paul Thompson, whose unconventional form of transport boasts a top speed of 15mph, is eagerly anticipating his forthcoming 600-mile jaunt north to Staffin and insists it will not turn sour.
Paul, a singer-songwriter from Norfolk, intends to take the wheel of the milk float this summer and is eager to find some “inspiring settings” to play. The float also doubles up as ...

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 ...