Читать книгу The Isle of Skye. Graded walks and scrambles throughout Skye, including the Cuillin онлайн

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There is little left on Skye of the so-called ‘Pictish’ era except a few standing stones, some bearing Christianstyle crosses. A good example is at Clach Ard, 8km (5 miles) north-west of Portree, and bears rod symbols, and those for a mirror and a comb.

Later on, the Christian way of life began to take a hold, reinforced by the visit of St Columba in AD585, and other saints shortly after. But this period of calm was ended after a spell of only 200 years with the arrival of Viking invaders and a new way of life.

The Norse occupation of the Island lasted until the Battle of Largs in 1263, when the fleet of King Haakon was defeated by the Scottish king, Alexander III. Not longer afterwards, in 1266, the Western Isles were ceded to Scotland under the Treaty of Perth.

Yet, with a great independence of spirit for which they are renowned, the Islanders still saw themselves as separate from Scotland, led by the Lord of the Isles. Under his guidance there were many rebellions against the crown, especially during the 14th and 15th centuries, a period also noted for numerous feuds between the island clans. Of these the most prominent were the MacLeods and the MacDonalds, and the Island is spattered with sites of their deeds and misdeeds.