Edinbane

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Edinbane (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Aodann Bàn the fair face) is a small village on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, positioned on the A850 road 14miles from Portree and 8 miles from Dunvegan.

There has been a settlement here since before 1600 but it was Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish (1st December 1809, died unmarried in 1869) who founded the village. The name An t-Aodann Bàn is said to be taken from the white bog cotton plants that can be found on the hill sides.

Kenneth McLeod took the care to ensure that there was a tradesman from each of the important crafts to sustain the needs of the village. His family had farmed land in the Gesto area of Skye for over 500 years.

At the age of 15 he went to India, with his fare paid out and one golden guinea in his pocket given him by Mrs. MacDonald of Waternish. After a year's work, he took the river boat down to Calcutta. On the way he went ashore and visited a place where an auction of the contents of a sugar factory was in progress. With his precious Guinea, he bought a copper boiler, which he sold in Calcutta for £30. He now returned to the derelict sugar factory and bought it for very little. This set him on the ladder to making a fortune in India planting indigo.

Thereafter, he returned to Skye and endeavoured to buy the tack of Gesto but MacLeod of MacLeod was not prepared to sell it. Kenneth then bought Orbost, Isle of Skye, Edinbane, Skirinish, Greshornishy, Tote and Skeabost and much of Portree.

He set up the first hospital on Skye in Edinbane and aptly named it Gesto.

The village is based around the crofts with a small primary school, two hotels and a pottery.