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A visit to Portree |
There is something quite magical about heading north and west and taking the road to the isles. No matter the time of year the scenery is always dramatic with the wide open spaces and mountainous landscapes a challenge to all.
This is particularly true of the Island of Skye, home of the chiefs of the Macleods, the Macdonalds and the Nicolsons. For those familiar with the misty isle they will be well aware of the vastness of the island and the long distances between places.
Earlier this year I went over the sea to Skye where I chose to base myself in Portree to get to know something of the island’s capital and the people who live there today.
Originally known as Kiltaraglen, meaning the chapel at the foot of the glen, the village become known as Portree in 1540 when King James V made his famous expedition to the Hebrides to assert his sovereignty over the rebellious Highland Clan chiefs.
In the Gaelic language which is very much to the fore on Skye, Port an Righ means the Port of the King, which was later anglicised
Numbers of red kites in Scotland are rising slowly - have you ever seen one of these birds flying wild in Scotland?
