Skye
A grand landscape rich in history and wildlife, with miles of walking trails and the spectacular Cuillin Hills.
Our land on southern Skye comprises three adjoining estates – Sconser, Strathaird and Torrin. It covers 12,000 hectares (equivalent to 16,806 football pitches!) of rugged coastline, beautiful woodland, important peatland, and dramatic mountains, including most of the Red Cuillin hills and outliers to the main Black Cuillin ridge including Blà Bheinn.
Much of the property lies within the Cuillin Hills National Scenic Area, and the land includes many protected sites for geology, peatlands, woodlands and golden eagles. This includes two Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) that give the highest level of protection under European law. People live and work on this land - most of it is under crofting tenure - and have done for more than 6,000 years. Surveys have identified more than 300 archaeological sites, including some of the best-documented ancient settlements on the west coast of Scotland.
What we're doing
Pathwork
Through our Wild Ways programme, we maintain around 60km of paths that criss-cross this grand landscape. These include the main route up Blà Bheinn, the path from Sligachan to Loch Coruisk, and the trail from Elgol to Camasunary.
Woodland regeneration
We are gradually returning blocks of commercial Sitka spruce planting to native broadleaf woodland by felling the spruce and replacing it with planted and regenerating native trees such as hazel, aspen and ash. We are also working to reduce grazing pressure on woodlands by deer and sheep.
We also carry out beach cleans, litter picks and wildlife monitoring on Skye with the help of volunteers.
Wildlife on Skye
Our properties on Skye cover some of the UK's best wild land and are home to wildlife such as greenshank, otters, and golden and sea eagles. The area has one of the densest populations of eagles anywhere in the UK.
The peatland here includes actively growing blanket bog, a priority habitat under the EU Habitats Directive. Deep layers of peat provide a home for a range of plants and animals that have adapted to the acidic, waterlogged conditions.
Visiting Skye
Skye attracts visitors from all over the world for its magnificent landscapes. The land we manage includes most of the Red Cuillin hills, while Strathaird contains outliers to the main Black Cuillin ridge including Bla Bheinn, one of the most recognisable. On the western edge of Strathaird is Loch Coruisk, one of Scotland's most dramatic inland lochs, which has inspired writers and artists from Walter Scott to JMW Turner.
Please be sure to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code if you are visiting.
Walking routes on Skye
Find detailed information on WalkHighlands, including the route up Bla Bheinn
Find out more