| Broadford | |
| Scottish Gaelic: An t-Àth Leathann | |
Overlooking Broadford village |
|
|
Broadford
Broadford shown within the Isle of Skye |
|
| Population | est. 620[1] (2006) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NG650230 |
| Council area | Highland |
| Lieutenancy area | Ross and Cromarty |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ISLE OF SKYE |
| Postcode district | IV49 |
| Dialling code | 01471 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Ross, Skye and Lochaber |
| Scottish Parliament | Ross, Skye and Inverness West |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Broadford (An t-Àth Leathann in Scottish Gaelic), together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lying on the SW corner of Broadford Bay, on the A87 between Portree and the Skye Bridge. Overlooked by the eastern Cuillins, Broadford is in a beautiful tranquil area as well as having many services available.
Contents |
Like many places in Skye, Broadford derives its name from Old Norse. To the Vikings this was Breiðafjorðr - the wide bay.[2] The Gaelic name is of modern derivation and assumes that the "ford" element meant a river crossing.[3]
West of Broadford, on the lower slopes of Beinn na Caillich, is Goir a' Bhlàir, 'the field of battle' (grid reference NG624234 [4]). The battle concerned was apparently a decisive action by the Gaelic Clan Mackinnon against the Vikings.[4]
Broadford was a cattle market until 1812, when Telford built the road from Portree to Kyleakin. Veterans of the Napoleonic Wars settled during the first half of the 19th century. Writing in the middle of the 19th century, Alexander Smith said, "If Portree is the London of Skye, Broadford is its Manchester."[5]
Legend holds that the recipe for the liqueur Drambuie was given by Bonnie Prince Charlie to Clan MacKinnon who then passed it onto James Ross late 19th century. Ross ran the Broadford Inn (now the Broadford Hotel), where he developed and improved the recipe, initially for his friends and then later to patrons. Ross then began to sell it further afield and the name was registered as a trademark in 1893.[6][7]
Broadford is a key service centre for southern Skye. Services include the Co-op supermarket combined with a 24 hour Gulf Oil garage, a few restaurants (including the Claymore, Broadford Hotel, Dunollie Hotel and Hebridean Hotel), the Skye Serpentarium and a youth hostel. It also has a small airfield (see Broadford Airfield) at Ashaig. The local hospital, the MacKinnon Memorial Hospital, has a small ward and casualty department.
The mineral harkerite was first found near Broadford by the geologist Alfred Harker.[8]
A variety of marine life can be seen at Broadford Bay including otters[9] and occasionally Orca whales.[9]
Birds that can sometimes be spotted at the bay include the Whooper Swan[10][11], Brent Goose[10][11], Red-throated Diver[10][11] and the Black-tailed Godwit.[10][11]