Skyecomuseum

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 ...

A WAR story set on Staffin Island, which was handed down through the generations, has inspired a new song.
Skye songwriter and musician Hector MacInnes, who made his name with the eclectic band Injuns, has released an EP called “Staffin”.
And the self-titled acoustic song has an intriguing tale behind it.
Hector, whose grandfather hailed from Clachan but was brought up in the south-end of Skye, had heard a story several years ago which got him thinking and then he heard it again more ...

STAFFIN will fall silent this weekend to honour those who left the district, and never returned home.
A century on from the start of the First World War and the Staffin firefighters of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who will be in full uniform, will join representatives from the Staffin Community Council and Staffin Community Trust to pay their respects on Remembrance Sunday
Two services will be held. The first one starts at the Valtos War Memorial at 2pm where wreaths will be laid ...

STAFFIN can partially lay claim to the 2014 Gold Medal winner, it has been confirmed.
Inverness-based solicitor Angus MacLeod won the blue riband event for singers at the Royal National Mòd earlier this month. 
Angus, who is also a member of the Inverness Gaelic Choir, won the competition on his home turf but revealed at the time he had a strong Skye and Western Isles family background.
Angus’ grandfather Alec Fraser, who hailed from Clachan, was a former headmaster of Staffin School in the post-war period. Angus’ ...

A HUGELY popular Staffin candle-making business has been put up for sale.
But the owners have stressed it is business as usual as they gear up for the busy festive period.
Skyelight Candles, which is run by Nick Wakeham and Kevin Topping, has been trading for 14 years.
It started off from humble beginnings in a small garage next to their home at the Old Mission House, Garafad, but Skyelight’s reputation quickly grew, largely through word of mouth. The company’s ...

ALL roads lead to Staffin next month for the hugely popular Cancer Research UK’s sale of work.
The annual event, which is something of an institution in north Skye, has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the charity’s work over the years.
It is probably the busiest day of the year in Staffin, certainly in terms of the number of vehicles parked around Staffin Hall!
The sale kicks off at 2pm on Saturday November 8. All the usual attractions including ...