Duirinish, Skye facts for kids
Duirinish (which means Diùirinis in Scottish Gaelic) is a beautiful peninsula on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It's located in the northwest part of the island. You can find it nestled between two sea lochs: Loch Dunvegan and Loch Bracadale. The name "Duirinish" comes from the Old Norse word for "deer headland." People who live here are sometimes called moganaich, and the area is known as dùthaich nam mogan, or "land of the mogan shoes."
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Exploring Duirinish's Landscape
The Isle of Skye has a very unusual shape. One writer, Malcolm Slesser, once said it looks like a "lobster's claw" sticking out from Scotland's west coast. If Skye is the claw, then Duirinish is one of its important parts!
MacLeod's Tables: Famous Hills
In the middle of the Duirinish peninsula, you'll find two main hills. They are called Healabhal Mhòr and Healabhal Bheag. These hills are more famously known as MacLeod's Tables. They stand tall at about 469 meters (1,539 feet) and 488 meters (1,601 feet) respectively. Their unique flat-topped shapes can be seen from many places across northwest Skye. At the very north end of the peninsula is Dunvegan Head, and Idrigill Point marks the south.
The Wild West Coast
The west coast of Duirinish is mostly uninhabited today. Offshore, you can spot a few small islands. These include An Dubh Sgeir, An Stac, and the famous MacLeod's Maidens. The Maidens are three tall rock formations, called sea stacks. They look like statues standing in the sea. Legend says they are named after a sad story about a MacLeod chief's wife and her two daughters.
Villages and Communities
Duirinish has several small communities, especially along the west side of Loch Dunvegan.
- Borreraig is a special place. It was once home to the famous MacCrimmon family, who were legendary bagpipe players.
- Colbost is known for its popular Three Chimneys restaurant.
- Other small villages include Skinidin, Galtrigill, and Totaig.
- Further west, you'll find Lephin and Glendale. Glendale is a large estate owned by the community itself. People from Glendale, sometimes called "martyrs", played a big part in standing up for their rights during the Highland Clearances. This was a time when many people were forced to leave their homes. For example, the village of Lorgill on the west coast was cleared in 1830.
- Further south, along the shore of Loch Bracadale, are the communities of Orbost and Roag.
Crofting, which is a type of small-scale farming, is still a very important part of life and the economy here.
Dunvegan: The Main Hub
The main village in the area is Dunvegan. It's located on the east side of Loch Dunvegan, just outside the peninsula itself. Near Dunvegan is the historic Dunvegan Castle. This castle has been the home of Clan MacLeod since the year 1200. It's one of the oldest continuously inhabited castles in Scotland!
Historical Importance
Historically, Duirinish was also a parish. A parish is like a local district. This parish was actually bigger than just the peninsula. It also included areas like Vaternish and Edinbane.
