Sleat facts for kids
Sleat is a beautiful area located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. People often call it "the garden of Skye" because it's so green and fertile. It's a peninsula, which means it's land surrounded by water on three sides.
Sleat is also the historic home of the MacDonald of Sleat clan. The name "Sleat" comes from the Scottish Gaelic word Slèite. This word originally came from Old Norse sléttr, meaning "smooth" or "even." This name perfectly describes Sleat, especially when you compare it to the tall mountains around it.
Where is Sleat?
Sleat stretches for about 13 miles (21 km) southwest. It goes from a narrow strip of land between Loch Eishort and Loch na Dal all the way to Point of Sleat. This point is the very southern tip of Skye.
The area is bordered by Loch Eishort on one side. On the other side is the Sound of Sleat. Unlike many parts of Skye, Sleat has very fertile land. While there are hills, most of them are not very high.
Towns and Villages
Sleat is a traditional area with several communities. Two main landowners, the Clan Donald Lands Trust and Eilean Iarmain Estate, own much of the land. Most people live on the southern side of the peninsula.
The main villages along the Sound of Sleat include Isleornsay, Teangue, Ferindonald, Kilmore, Armadale, Ardvasar, and Aird of Sleat. On the northwest side, you'll find Tokavaig and Tarskavaig.
The local group, Sleat Community Trust, is very active. They bought the Skye Ferry Filling Station in Armadale. They are also looking into ways to create renewable energy. The Trust also owns Sleat Renewables Ltd., a company that produces timber.
Getting Around Sleat
The A851 road connects Armadale to the rest of Skye. In recent years, this road has been improved a lot. By 2019, it became a double-lane road all the way through Sleat.
Many teenagers living in Sleat use the A851 road. They travel to attend Portree High School. There's even a hostel at the school for students who live very far away.
Smaller roads connect the two coasts of Sleat. Another small road goes past Armadale to Aird of Sleat. From Aird, a path leads about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) to the Point of Sleat Lighthouse.
A car ferry run by Caledonian Macbrayne connects Armadale to Mallaig. Mallaig is a town on the Scottish mainland.
Speaking Gaelic in Sleat
Sleat is one of the strongest Gaelic-speaking areas on Skye. In 1901, about 91% of the people in Sleat spoke Gaelic. About 10% spoke only Gaelic.
By 2011, about 39% of the people in Sleat spoke Gaelic. The highest number of Gaelic speakers was in Tarskavaig and Achnacloich (51%). The lowest was in Armadale (27%).
The local primary school is called Bun-sgoil Shlèite. It is a special Gaelic-medium school. This means that most subjects are taught in Gaelic. There was a discussion in 2006 about changing the school's status. In the end, the Highland Council decided to make it an all-Gaelic school, but with an English-medium unit too.
Sleat is also home to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. This is Scotland's only Gaelic-medium college. It offers university-level courses taught in Gaelic. It is also the biggest employer in the area. The Gaelic film, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle, was mostly filmed in Sleat. It was produced by Christopher Young, who lives in Sleat and speaks some Gaelic.
Want to Know More?
In Spanish: Sleat para niños
