Trotternish
Encyclopedia
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
of the Isle of Skye, in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
One of its more well-known features is the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, some 30 kilometres (18.6 mi). The landslip contains two of Skye's most famous landmarks: the Old Man of Storr
The Storr
The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.-Geology:...
, an isolated rocky pinnacle, and the Quiraing
Quiraing
The Quiraing is a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips; the Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving, the road at...
, an area of dramatic and unusual rock formations. The summit of The Storr
The Storr
The Storr is a rocky hill on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. The hill presents a steep rocky eastern face overlooking the Sound of Raasay, contrasting with gentler grassy slopes to the west.-Geology:...
, on whose slopes the Old Man of Storr is located, is the highest point of the peninsula. While boasting many vertical heights, the area is mainly unsuitable for rock-climbing due to the friable rock.
The most northerly point of Trotternish, Rubha Hùinis, is also the most northerly point of Skye. The three major settlements on Trotternish are Portree
Portree
Portree is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses....
(generally regarded as the capital of Skye), Uig
Uig, Skye
The village of Uig lies at the head of the sheltered inlet of Uig Bay on the west coast of the Trotternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Uig is situated partly on the raised beach around the head of the bay and partly on the steep slopes behind it...
and Staffin
Staffin
Staffin is a village , lying at the head of Staffin Bay on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree. Nearby is the rock formation of the Quirang and Staffin Island lies just offshore...
.
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area is a designation for areas of natural beauty used by more than one nation.* National Scenic Area * National Scenic Area * National scenic areas in Taiwan* National Scenic Area...
s in Scotland.
Gaelic
In terms of number of speakers, Troddernish is the strongest Gaelic-speaking area of Skye. In the 2001 census, 61% of the population returned as Gaelic speakers, there are Gaelic-medium units in the StaffinStaffin
Staffin is a village , lying at the head of Staffin Bay on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about north of Portree. Nearby is the rock formation of the Quirang and Staffin Island lies just offshore...
and Kilmuir primary schools, and the area is the focus of one of Comunn na Gàidhlig
Comunn na Gàidhlig
Comunn na Gàidhlig abbreviated to "CnaG" is an organisation which seeks to promote Scottish Gaelic language and culture....
's Gaelic development initiatives, Lasair. In 2010, Comunn na Gàidhlig named Staffin as their Gaelic Community of the Year.