Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre

Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre The Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre opened in the Elgin Hostel, Portree, in December 2009. Staff are available to do paid research on your behalf if required.

The Archive Centre is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
10:00-13:00 14:00-16:30

Local and family history resources – there is no charge for you to carry out your own research in the Archive Centre. High resolution copies of our images are available to purchase. Please contact us at [email protected] to check availability and charges. High Life Highland is a co

mpany limited by guarantee registered in Scotland No. SC407011 and is a registered Scottish charity No. SC042593

Looking for help from our friends, this is another lovely image from the camera of Mrs Shiela Urqhuart. It would be gre...
02/06/2026

Looking for help from our friends, this is another lovely image from the camera of Mrs Shiela Urqhuart.
It would be great to put names to the faces of these amazing women.

*** Thursday 4th June *** We will be closed all day. We apologise for any inconvenience and will be open again from 10a...
02/06/2026

*** Thursday 4th June ***
We will be closed all day.
We apologise for any inconvenience and will be open again from 10am on Friday 5th June or email any enquiries to [email protected] and we will be glad to help you

Post Office workers pictured outside the old Portree Post Office, 1930s. Left to right: John MacPherson, Vicky Ferguson,...
31/05/2026

Post Office workers pictured outside the old Portree Post Office, 1930s.
Left to right: John MacPherson, Vicky Ferguson, Sandy Mackenzie, Allan Mackinnon, Alastair Peacock, Johnnie MacLeod (all Portree). Angus Stewart (Uig), John Alex MacDonald (Staffin), Jimmy MacRae (Carbost). In doorway: Ian Macrae, Duncan MacAskill, Donnie Mackenzie (all Portree).

Kyleakin School Group, 1970s.From the Joan Wilcock Collection.
30/05/2026

Kyleakin School Group, 1970s.
From the Joan Wilcock Collection.

Join Kyleakin Local History Society in celebrating the 150 years Old school Exhibition. Friday 29th and Saturday 30th M...
29/05/2026

Join Kyleakin Local History Society in celebrating the 150 years Old school Exhibition. Friday 29th and Saturday 30th May 2026 from 10am until 5pm, entry by donation. See images from the Flora Reid MBE Collection and from the Joan Wilcock Collection amongst others
Flora Nicolson Reid MBE 26 September 1915-17 June 1995
Head teacher of Kyleakin School and community activist was described in an obituary as "... stalwart of the Skye Labour Party, the Isle of Skye Peace Centre and a whole host of progressive causes." Margaret Hope MacPherson described her as “ a woman of outstanding dignity and coalescence of like-minded activists who made a national humanity, a teacher whose influence marked her pupils for impression.”
Educated at Kyleakin and Portree schools and Glasgow University (MA Hons). After graduating she came home and became head teacher of her old school in 1951. Consistently involved in educational and community activities throughout the island for over 40 years.
Joan Wilcock 1895-1994
The collection of over four hundred 35 mm slides was created by amateur photographer Joan Wilcock during her regular holidays in Skye from the late 1950s to the 1970s. Creating a unique collection of Kodachrome 35mm slides Joan produce a portrait of community life local people and places. Most of her visits seem to have been centred around Kyleakin, where she stayed at the Heathmont Hotel

29/05/2026

Kyleakin Old School Exhibition featuring wonderful images from Flora Reid MBE Collection and Joan Wilcock Collection

This document is from the Papers of Donald Mackenzie, Solicitor and Procurator Fiscal, Portree. It is the Account of Ma...
29/05/2026

This document is from the Papers of Donald Mackenzie, Solicitor and Procurator Fiscal, Portree. It is the Account of Martin Martin Esq, Tote due to the estate of the late Donald McDonald, Merchant, Portree for a wonderful variety of goods received between August and October 1847
The first item is 6lbs Tea, 1/2lb Pepper and a large knitted shawl all at a cost of £1.10.9 – One pound, ten shillings and ninepence.
The tea lasts just over a month before they need to purchase another 1lb on September 15th

28/05/2026

Learn with Lorna 260 – Treasures of the Highland Archive Service
Part of a series of events to share the collections of the Highland Archive Service.
This livecast is being brought to you by High Life Highland at no cost to the viewer.
High Life Highland is a charity registered in Scotland.
This event does not require any payment or subscription but we welcome donations.
To donate please visit https://shop.highlifehighland.com/products/archives-choose-your-donation
All previous episodes can be seen at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxasYGi8kIcL7OThf1QGsHAMACY_1DGE&si=1u6WUF-hBjP7iV1H

We are very fortunate to have a large and very interesting collection of documents here at the Skye and Lochalsh Archive...
27/05/2026

We are very fortunate to have a large and very interesting collection of documents here at the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre and we’ll share some from the Procurator Fiscal Papers Collection with you here over the next day or two.
Donald MacKenzie (1805-1872) was born in Inverness, the son of Kenneth MacKenzie, a tradesman and his wife Mary (née Ross). Donald MacKenzie practised law in Portree from at least 1841 until his death in 1872. He held office as Procurator Fiscal and provided evidence to the Poor Law Board of Supervision in 1851.
Before we leave Kylerhea though I’ll share this battle between John MacRae, Achbeg Stein and Donald Martin from Kyleakin.
Donald writes to the Procurator Fiscal as he wants to threaten to prosecute John for taking a beast of his across Kylerhea, Value £5-0-0.
John replies that he had engaged a driver to take a herd of 21 beasts from the market at Portree south via Kylerhea. John was to meet him at Sheil House but he didn’t appear so he headed for Kylerhea where he paid the driver before seeing the cattle. He later discovered a grey amongst his herd of 21, John hadn’t bought the grey and wanted to leave it with the inn keeper, until he asked his brother if had bought it after the sale ended. Against his better judgement he sent them all south to market where he only got £2-5/-0 for the grey.
John reckoned the driver Donald Maclean had lost one of the cows on the way and stolen the grey to make up the numbers but he says it cannot be Donald Martins which if he was an honest man is worth £6-0-0 whereas the grey was only worth £2-5/-0!
The matter drags on for a whole year with the final letter from John saying he will pay £2-5/-0 to end the matter although he is being taken advantage of. It will have to wait until after the first Portree market though as he has nothing with which to raise the cash with until then.
All four letters are available for you to read here in the archive centre
Postcard of 'Highland Cattle on Trek, Isle of Skye'

Advert publicising Glenelg to Kylerhea Ferry c.1970 Returning to our old favourite Duncan Macpherson, this is a lovely ...
26/05/2026

Advert publicising Glenelg to Kylerhea Ferry c.1970
Returning to our old favourite Duncan Macpherson, this is a lovely image of the Glenelg to Kylerhea ferry from c.1930s
The current Glenelg to Kylerhea ferry boat is the famous community owned MV Glenachulish and is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world. Built in 1969, she is 18m long and 6.7m wide, can carry six cars and 12 passengers. There is a charity the Glenachulish Preservation Trust which looks after the ferry.
In August 2018, Isabelle Law became the first female skipper of this historic boat. You will also know Isabelle from her amazing photography including her exhibition Iomain: An-dè, An-diugh agus A-màireach/(Shinty: Past, Present and Future) which we were delighted to host here in the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre.

Address

Elgin Hostel, Dunvegan Road
Portree
IV519EE

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 1pm
2pm - 4:30pm
Tuesday 10am - 1pm
2pm - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 1pm
2pm - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 1pm
2pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441478614078

Website

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