Bracadale - Skye

[Fergie38]

While ancestor hunting on the Isle of Skye I reached the village that is marked on the map as 'Bracadale' but the sign at the side of the road as I entered the village did not say 'Bracadale', it said something else and I don't recall what it was.
Can anyone help.



I took this photo of the village, looking northwards, with Bracadale Parish Church in the foreground.

Cheers

[CaroleW]

Hi

Fabulous photo

[Teenybash]

Hi Fergie

I think that's the view from the really windy steep road into ....Struan.....just before Bracadale...does that ring any bells?


Great photo!

Christine

[Fergie38]

Struan is over the crest of the hill at the top of the photo. It's about 3/4 of a mile from where this photo was taken
When I took the shot, I was standing on the B885 road from 'Bracadale' to Portree just at its junction with the B863.

When I asked a local for directions, he wasn't very happy about me 'working' on my family tree on a Sunday. He must have informed the church minister about me and that's whose car can be seen standing at the church door. He arrived just as I was about to take the photo. His first action was to check the grave site to see if we were still there (we had just left) and then he spotted us above him on the hill. After watching us for a few minutes he vanished into the church. We left then ...incase he was sending for re-enforcements. 
On the other hand, maybe the minister had arrived with friendly and helpful intentions.   

Cheers.

  Fergie

[CWoody]

It's still part of Struan even though the Struan sign is over the hill!
The Parish is known as Bracadale.   

[CWoody]

It's still part of Struan even though the Struan sign is over the hill!
The Parish is known as Bracadale.   

I've just returned from Skye.   I was wrong - the village is actually Balgown but it's generally accepted as part of Struan even when it comes to Postal addresses.
The Gaelic is Baile na Gobhan - Gobhan means little hill.

[RSMACL]

What a great photo.
I thought times had changed!  With a girlfriend, I rode a bike 12,000 miles (amateur bike-rider!) around Scotland in the early 1950's, staying at Youth Hostels, and we were strongly advised not to ride on Sunday's or to travel by bus, etc. ; this was particularly applicable to the West Coast.
Am interested in Skye and Raasay connections.  The ancestors (McLeod) of my husband John MacLeod (originally from Inverness) were from Hallaig, on Isle of Raasay, and one of the children of the family was born at Bracadale, Isle of Skye.   Another son Murdoch McLeod moved from Orisaig (they had been evicted from Hallaig in the early 'Clearances' and moved to Orisaig) to Kirkhill, and married Barbara Chisholm of Kiltarlity.  Their children were all born in Kiltarlity.
Barbara Chisholm's parents were Catherine Kennedy who was b. Glenco(e) 1801 & John Chisholm b. 1796 Kiltarlity, but a relative has found a connection with another Catherine Kennedy, in the 1841 Census for Raasay, and also a James Kennedy age 35, living in Screapadal, and he believes that there is a family connection...perhaps a cousin?   Anyone have any information?    Ruth MacLeod in Australia

[wini]

I am really  surprised that Skye hasn't changed in all the years since I used to  visit, my maternal grandmother was from Kilmuir in Skye and we used to get the peat in on a Saturday  and even the porridge was cooked Saturday so it just had to be heated on a Sunday.
We went to church in a pony and cart, this was 1940's to early fifties.

wini

[CWoody]

My upbringing in the 1950s was as you describe, with precious little done on the Sabbath!    We even took in the water on Saturday!   I remember arguing with a teacher about what could and couldn't be done that day - I asked if we were meant to turn a blind eye if we saw a lamb caught in a fence, for instance!   I was being stupidly controversial, of course, just pushing boundaries!

Skye has certainly changed with the times.    One shop and a garage were trading in Dunvegan on Sunday, so that aspect has changed.    Portree, of course, has the Co-op which opens on Sunday and are soon to have a Tesco which will no doubt open 24 hours.    I think you would see a big difference now.

I would say the major change is in the nationality of the population.    As the Sgiathanach dies out, the empty houses are sold to (usually) English people.   They bring with them different needs and values and so the old ways of "keeping the Sabbath" has altered.
By the way, I have no problem with those so called "incomers".     I would rather see permanent residents of whatever nationality than village after village of empty holiday homes, which can be the case.     
The reason goes back a long time - the young go away to College or University usually in Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow.     By the time the period of education is over, they have made new friends or have prospect of work in the city so they delay returning to Skye.
Then they marry and have their families - and before you know it, yet another generation talks about their memories of Granny Skye and the life they see for a week or two!
I know - it's happened to me and also the rest of my family.     Granted two of five of my family returned to Skye but the rest of us have made our lives off the Island.