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UK
Staffin Beach
Staffin Bay
Staffin
Trotternish
Isle of Skye
Highland
Rocks
Sea
Scotland
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Totternish Ridge
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Rocky beach at Staffin Bay, Trotternish, Isle of Skye

Rocky beach at Staffin Bay, Trotternish, Isle of Skye
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Staffin (Scottish Gaelic: Stafain) is a district with the Gaelic name An Taobh Sear, which translates as 'the East Side', on the northeast coast of the Trotternish peninsula of the island of Skye. It is located on the A855 road about 17 miles (27 km) north of Portree and is overlooked by the Trotternish Ridge with the famous rock formations of The Storrand the Quirang. The district comprises 23 townships made up of, from south to north, Rigg, Tote, Lealt, Lonfearn, Grealin, Breackry, Cul-nan-cnoc, Bhaltos, Raiseburgh, Ellishader, Garafad, Clachan, Garros, Marrishader, Maligar, Stenscholl, Brogaig, Sartle, Glasphein, Digg, Dunan, Flodigarry and Greap.

The Kilmartin River runs northwards through the village. From where it reaches the sea a rocky shore leads east to a slipway at An Corran. Here a local resident found a slab bearing a dinosaur track, probably made by a small ornithopod. Experts subsequently found more dinosaur prints of up to 50 cm, the largest found in Scotland, made by a creature similar to Megalosaurus. At about 160 million years old they are the youngest dinosaur remains to be found in Scotland.

A Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site dating to the 7th millennium BC at An Corran is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Scotland. Its occupation is probably linked to that of the rock shelter at Sand, Applecross on the coast of Wester Ross.

In the modern era this part of Skye retains a strong Gaelic identity with 61 per cent of the local population recorded as speaking the language in 2001. In September 2010,Comunn na Gàidhlig named Staffin as their "Gaelic Community of the Year", in the first year this competition has run.

In 2011 it was reported that Staffin Island may be the last in Scotland where the old tradition of having cattle swim between grazings is still carried out. Crofter Iain MacDonald, who used to swim with the animals, now uses a boat to encourage them to swim from Staffin Island to Skye in early spring and back again in October.

Thérèse, , Tanja - Loughcrew, Andy Rodker have particularly liked this photo


Comments
 Andy Rodker
Andy Rodker club
Fabulous shot, Doug

and excellent notes! Thank you!

I recall a (friendly) bit of banter in the shop at Broadford. All in Gaelic for my Sassenach benefit. I only wanted a packet of Marlboro (I smoked in the late 70s). I ended up buying a packet of Woodbines and felt very grateful for it!
Best wishes, Andy
8 years ago.
Doug Shepherd club has replied to Andy Rodker club
Thanks very much for the visit and kind comments Andy. Love the story also. I was surprised at the number of English people working in the shops at Portree, it was a while before I heard a Scots accent. A local was telling me that Glendale, (west of Dunvagan)" is know as 'Little England".
All the best, Doug
8 years ago.
 Tanja - Loughcrew
Tanja - Loughcrew club
I´m with Andy!!! An enchanting photo and the informations are very interesting!!!
8 years ago.
 Doug Shepherd
Doug Shepherd club
Thank yoy very much for the visit and kind comments Tanja, much appreciated.
Best wishes, Doug
8 years ago.

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