Skye, Edinbane

Edinbane Village founded in the mid-19th century on 'brown, softly-swelling and monotonous' terrain by Kenneth Macleod (Coinneach Mor) of Greshornish and Gesto. This pioneering Skye landlord envisaged a model township, self-sufficient, with occupants skilled in each craft (for more on him see p.257). He provided an inn, mill, school, and Gesto Hospital, 1872, built shortly after his death, the first of its kind in Skye.

[Kenneth Macleod (1809-69), a descendant of the Macleods of Gesto, made his fortune in India before returning to Skye and purchasing a large chunk of property that had formerly been in the possession of his family's old rivals, the Macleods of Dunvegan. Thus he was able to get his own back on them for ousting his forebears from their old home of Gesto back in 1825.]

Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 208. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

NG35SW 62 centred on 3347 513

A crofting township, comprising seventy-three roofed buildings, one partially roofed building, thirteen unroofed buildings and a head-dyke is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch (Inverness-shire, Isle of Skye 1881, sheet xvi). Forty-four roofed buildings, one partially roofed building and thirty-one unroofed buildings are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10560 map (1969).

Information from RCAHMS (AKK) 17 October 1996.