Armadale: For those landing on Skye from the Mallaig – Skye ferry, Armadale will be the first experience of this multi-faceted island. Approaching the terminal, they will already have spotted Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic College perched on the cliffs at Kilbeg. At the pier there are gift shops, an excellent pottery, an art gallery (“Skyelark”, run by renown photographer “Grumpy George”), a small restaurant (“The Shed”) and an intriguing clothes shop – Ragamuffin. The filling station, owned by the community, houses the post office, tourist information point, as well as selling books, coffee and soft drinks.
Of course, Armadale is most famous for Armadale Castle Gardens and the Clan Donald Centre and Museum of the Isles. Visitors to the museum will first encounter a prehistoric stone circle inside the entrance, before being led through five centuries of Norwegian rule up to the modern era. MacDonalds will also find a genealogy centre.