WATERNISH PENINSULA

The top end of Skye consists of a series of peninsulas of varying shapes and sizes, giving it the appearance of a mis-shapen hand. To the west of Trotternish Peninsula is the smaller Waternish Peninsula, topped off with Waternish Point with its neat little white lighthouse, from where in summer there is a good chance of seeing whales and dolphins. Most of the visitor attractions, places to eat and drink and places to stay are scattered among a number of hamlets such as Lochbay, Stein and Lower Halistra. Boat trips are available from Stein. There are a number of wonderful walks on the peninsula, and as well as the marine life there are red deer and a variety of birds including Corncrakes and Great Skuas for walkers to look out for.

The beautiful and tranquil location on the west coast of the peninsula occupied by the ruined Trumpan Church, once the centre of a medieval village, belies the fact that in 1578 the church was the scene of a brutal bout of clan warfare between the MacDonalds and the MacLeods. The MacLeods were worshipping in the church on a Sunday morning when the MacDonalds, over from Uist, set fire to the building, killing all but one of its occupants. However, the raiders were caught out when the ebbing tide beached their boats, and an army of MacLeods took advantage by ambushing the stranded MacDonalds and all but annihilating them. Legend has it that the MacLeods were helped by the waving of the Fairy Flag, a piece of silk preserved as an heirloom at Dunvegan Castle which is thought to have magical properties - more on that in a later post.

Map of the area.

Coast of Waternish peninsula - geograph.org.uk - 1857181. Photo by Richard Dorrell, via Wikimedia Commons.