History

Camuscross is a small crofting township of approximately 120 people, situated in the Sleat peninsula in the South of the Isle of Skye. (Sleat is a peninsula on the island of Skye in the Highland council area of Scotland, known as "the garden of Skye". It is the home of the clan MacDonald of Sleat. The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic Sléibhte (or Slèite), which in turn comes from Old Norse sléttr (smooth, even) which sums up the area when compared against the Cuillin hills only minutes away).

The crofting township has 37 registered crofts and 30 crofters. Each crofter has a croft - which is a piece of in-bye land where crofters traditionally grew their crops.  Most crofts have a croft house on them - the crofters´ home. 

Most crofters also have a share in the common grazings, used for grazing cattle and sheep.  The common grazings is managed by a Common Grazings Committee. In recent years they have applied for funding to set up woodland planting and regeneration schemes, build an animal handling pen and crush and put up fences.

Like other West Highland and island townships, all of the houses were clustered into a single ´baile´ or village before the setting out of crofts by the landlord in the early 1800s. The Museum of the Isles in Armadale holds original copies of maps of the Clan Donald estate dating from the 1760s, by Stobie, and the maps created by Blackadder in the early 1800s, who was commissioned by Lord MacDonald to survey all of his estates and recommend how to lay them out as crofts.

The ÁbaileÁ of Camuscross was held by a ´tacksman´ and included lands in Isle Ornsay and also the grazing of Alain, thought to be in Kinloch.  The Stobie map shows that the tack included land over Allt na Beiste in what is now Baravaig.  The original farmhouse is thought to be the larger house still standing on Croft No 15, which was for a while a school, until the school in Duisdale was built.

Blackadder drew up a township of 40 crofts.  However, the crofts were very small: 2 to 3 acres on average, and the hill grazing is less than a tenth of the size of most other Sleat townships - although with many more crofters.  It is thought that the crofts were deliberately made too small to live on, in order to ´encourage´ the inhabitants to become fishermen during the herring boom.

Isle Ornsay harbour was reckoned to be one of the most promising harbours in the whole of Skye, and at one time was the major port for connections to the mainland. Isle Ornsay post office, then situated where the estate office now is, was the main post office for the whole of Sleat.

Isle Ornsay harbour also saw the departure of emigration ships - the William Nichol, a Government emigration ship left on 6th July, 1837, bound for Australia.  The Sillery departed on Sept 7th, 1853 for Canada. On board were people who had been cleared from Knoydart and the Glengary estates, to make room for sheep.  A story local to Camuscross tells that the people were brought over in boats to the ship. moored in Isle Ornsay Bay, but that 4 young men from Inverguiseran 'escaped' and walked over the hills to Lochaber. 

The Canadian Emigration Report of 1853 states:
On board the Sillery, from Skye, there were 332 persons sent out from the Glengary estate. They were a fine healthy body of emigrants. They received a free passage as far as Montreal, and were allowed each 10 lbs. oatmeal on leaving the ship; and, owing to the increasing demand for labourers of all descriptions throughout the province they cannot fail to do well.  Taken from Emigration. Papers Relative to Emigration to The British Provinces in North America, British Parliamentary Papers 1854, XLVI, (1763 ).

Local History

The tidal island of Ornsay (accessible on foot at low tides) forms and shelters a superb natural harbour. Isleornsay or, in Gaelic, Eilean Iarmain wraps around the harbour before extending south west along the shore to become Camuscross.

Post office. Head back out to the main road but turn left towards Armadale. 200 yards down the road turn left and the Post Office is 100 yards down the road Shops. There are two local supermarkets to choose from

Nearest is Broadford Co-op (also a fuel garage attached)

Kyle Co-op (over the Skye bridge 50 yards before the main traffic lights)

Broadford also has a butcher, chemist, bank (plus cashpoint) and Kyle has a similar range as well as housewares. There are so many wonderful sites to see and places to go both on the Island and within a short drive or ferry journey you will be spoilt for choice. To help you we have selected some of our favourites.

Walking and Climbing

I couldn't hope to do justice to the Mountains of Skye and the many Munro's both here and within easy reach on the mainland. If you love walking or climbing, you've come to the right place.

Whether you are a skilled climber or just love day rambles, there are many beautiful areas of varying difficulty.

Wildlife

The island has an abundance of wildlife and extensive shorelines populated with otters and seals. You are assured of sightings at either the sanctuary at Kylerhea or below the ramparts of Dunvegan castle, amongst other. Birds of prey, including eagles, are no longer rare

Attractions

Aros Centre. (Portree)A multi-media exhibition about the history of Skye.

Talisker distillery The only distillery on the Isle of Skye, set on the shores of Loch Harport with dramatic views of the Cuillins. This alluring, sweet, full-bodied single malt is so easy to enjoy, and like Skye itself, so hard to leave.

Reptile world

Castles

Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the stronghold of the Chiefs of MacLeod for nearly 800 years. Built on a rock, it has survived clan battles, the extremes of feast and famine and the profound social, political and economic changes through which the Western Highlands and Islands have passed. Beautiful gardens, walks, tea room and seal trips by boat.

Encompassing the ruins of Armadale Castle, Clan Donald Centre (famous for genealogical research), extensive gardens and walks and of course a tea room.

As one of the most iconic images of Scotland,Eilean Donan Castle (Back on the mainland) is recognised all around the world. Situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, and surrounded by some majestic scenery, it is little wonder that the castle is now one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish highlands. 

Gardens

Where to go

Where to eat

Our recommendations

A tour of the main road around the island can be comfortably done in a day. Clockwise or anticlockwise

A drive and picnic at Elgol allows you an excellent view of the Cuillin hills and also easy access to the harbour where boat trips take you to the famous Loch Coruisk or out to the seals

A climb (moderately easy and a good track all the way) to the Old Man of Storr is within reach of most people and the view when you get there is spectular

Armadale Castle gardens Beautiful gardens, nature trails, museum of the Isles including the genealogical centre and only 10 minutes away......