Sleat

Sleat ( Scottish Gaelic: Sléibhte or Slèite ) is a peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye. It is separated by the Sound of Sleat from the mainland. The original Scottish Gaelic name means as much as " level," which is not what topographical reality. The peninsula is also known as the "Garden of Skye " is dominated by gently undulating, hilly landscapes. Sleat appears relatively flat only in comparison to the northern mountains of the Black Cuillins.

On Sleat is the former seat of the Clan MacDonald, the Armadale Castle, which today but for the most part is just a ruin. In the building next to the ruins of the history of the Lords of the Isles is presented from the perspective of the self- financed by the clans in the Clan Visitors Centre. This includes a park with old trees, that are usually found in North America. Their growth is favored by a mild climate ( Gulf Stream ). The current High Chief of Clan Donald, Lord Godfrey James Macdonald of Macdonald, operates with his wife, a well known chef and writer, a bit off the main road, a country to Broadford Hotel.

Most of the villages are East at Sleats, facing the mainland to find coast along the main road from Broadford to Armadale. In Armadale is located next to the Clan MacDonald Centre and several shops and restaurants and the pier for the important ferry to Mallaig on the Scottish mainland opposite. South of Armadale leads the main road after Ardvasar ( Scottish Gaelic Aird a ' Bhàsair ), the traditional capital of Sleat. The public road runs even a little further south to Aird of Sleat and here offers views of the islands of Rum and Eigg and still further south Ardnamurchan peninsula. East of Main Street Broadford Ardvasar lie on the eastern coastline Sleats the hamlet Tarskavaig, Tokavaig and Ord, from which one can overlook the Cuillins and the peninsula of Elgol.

Sleat is a stronghold of the Scottish Gaelic language. Approximately 40 percent of the population speak the language. On the peninsula, in the hamlet Ostaig and with remarkable views across the Sound of Sleat, and the Scots-Gaelic College Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ( "the great barn of Ostaig " in German ) is located, which is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands. The college has led to a further influx of well-trained gälischsprachiger academics. In 2006, there was a nationally publicized dispute about the linguistic and cultural orientation of the elementary school in Sleat, the example demonstrates the conflicts of interest of the different population groups now very different cultural and social backgrounds. A dominated by the college members of the parents wanted to reach that far bilingual primary school is transformed into a " Gaelic only" school, so as to promote the language even further and raise the language skills of children on a college -grade level. This met with bitter resistance from the only English -speaking population. She made primarily contends that it far and wide is no school alternative for the non- Gaelic-speaking children. However, the line of conflict also ran right through the Gaelic culture: Part of the old-established, non- academically trained Gaeltacht parents also spoke out against the gain of Gaelic education. In this group were partially offset by the long history of oppression and discrimination of Gaelic culture explainable concerns exist, such as the fear that the children would have no sufficient knowledge of English on poorer career opportunities. The dispute was finally settled by a compromise solution of the Highland Council.

To Sleat also the village Isleornsay heard (Gaelic Eilean Iarmain ) together with the same lighthouse island. Of the more than national significance is the Eilean Iarmain Hotel. It belonged to the late 2010 multi-millionaire and philanthropist Ian Noble, who had a special relationship to the Gaelic language and culture and with a donation also laid the foundation for the establishment of the college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

Culture, arts and crafts

A significant role for the cultural program plays the college Sabhal Mòr Ostaig with its open to the public largely barrier-free facilities. In the auditorium of the modern central building regularly hosts concerts, lectures and other cultural events. Furthermore, there is a souvenir and book shop as well as the college library with Internet access. In the immediate vicinity of Armadale Pier is a pottery, a leather shop and a fashion and jewelry business with established products on Skye. On Sleat several painters and photographers have settled who exhibit their works in small galleries and offer for sale. The complex comprises of Eilean Iarmain hotels in Isleornsay the gallery belongs to Talla Dearg (Eng. " the red room " ), which hosts changing exhibitions of mostly local artists. There is also a bar on Praban (Eng. " the shed ").

Development project in Kilbeg

In Kilbeg (Gaelic: A ' Chill Bheag - " the little church " ) is to create a new site with 93 buildings, utilities of daily life and a further expanded campus of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in the next 20 years on the lands of Clan Donald. The project has a circumference of about 40 million British pounds. In 2011, plans were approved by the authorities. Currently, negotiations on the short- and long -term financing. Upon reaching the final stage of the new place will be the most important settlement on the Sleat Peninsula and take over key functions of the conventional central places Portree and Broadford. Of the plans as a signal goes out, because in North West Scotland there were in the past 300 years, a significant population decline; in the so-called Highland Clearances entire villages were forced to emigrate to North America or Australia / New Zealand. While there are in Skye for more than a decade a positive population development, but it has hardly helped to stabilize or even revival of Gaelic culture. Once can prove a certain selective reversal in Sleat thanks of the College Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the project managers hope to continue the perpetuation of cultural and economic uptrend and even larger spillover effect on the Rettungs-/Wiederbelebungsanstrengungen the Gaelic language.