Broadford on Skye

Broadford is a Village in the central area of the Isle of Skye, 7 miles north of the Skye Bridge, 26 miles south of Portree. Broadford is the second largest settlement on Skye, after Portree, popular for its Market, where Drambuie was first made at the Broadford Hotel, and Accommodation as it is well situated for exploring the whole Island.

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Attractions List Postcode: IV49 9AE

Camping & Touring Parks in area

The top image is looking north along the Main Street. This is the main road that runs north from the Fery port village of Armadale and the Skye Bridge to Portree. The Mountain in the distance is the 732m / 2,402ft Beinn na Caillich, known as a Red Cuillin.

Many of the mountains on the east side of Skye are reddish with dome tops. Mountains in the central area are darker with pinnacles, known as Black Cuillins. A number of the Black Cuillins are over 3,000ft, attracting vast numbers of hikers and climbers from around the world.

The second image is of the Dunollie Hotel in the centre of the village.

The third image is of the Isle of Skye Market Square on the Main Street. There are a number of interesting Little Shops and an Antique Shop.

The fourth image is of Broadford House Skye B&B, also on the Main Street.

The Broadford Hotel is at the north end of the Village where a minor road leads west to the scenic village of Elgol and Spar Cave on the west coast, popular for boat trips. The Hotel is famous as the place the liqueur Drambuie was developed.

Broadford Harbour is behind the Market Square and Dunollie Hotel.

Broadford History

800s - Vikings gained control of Skye and most other islands in Scotland, giving this area the name Broad Ford, a Wide Bay.

1100s? - At Beinn na Caillich mountain, in Glen Suardal, Clan Mackinnon from Skye, is said to have defeated the Vikings in battle.

1100s - the Vikings are forced out of the Western Isles by Scottish Kings. Scots Clans, loyal to the Kings, were used to gain, and keep control of the areas once held by the Vikings.

1698 - first records are made of Marble being Quarried in this area of Skye.

1700s - Broadford was a cattle market.

1746 - Bonnie Prince Charlie was helped by Captain John MacKinnon of Skye to flee Scotland after the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden. In return, Charlie gave MacKinnon a recipe for his personal liqueur made from Brandy, honey, herbs and spices. The MacKinnon's then began making the liqueur for themselves.

1812 - Thomas Telford built a road from Portree to Kyleakin, passing through Broadford. Kyleakin is where ferries ran before the Skye Bridge was completed in 1995, the shortest crossing to the Scottish mainland.

1800s - Veterans of the Napoleonic Wars settled in Broadford, with an area of the village named Waterloo.

1800s - James Ross ran the Broadford Inn, today the Broadford Hotel, where he developed the liqueur the MacKinnon's had been making for over 100 years, by mixing Scotch whisky, honey, herbs and spices. Ross named the liqueur Drambuie, meaning in Scots Gaelic, the drink that satisfies.

1800s - marble was Quarried at the Beinn na Caillich Hill on the northwest side of Broadford.

1893 - the name Drambuie was registered as a trademark.

1904 - a Railway was built to carry Marble to the Pier at Broadford.

1907 - the company named Skye Marble was set up, expanding Marble production and Exports.

Skye marble is claimed to have been used in buildings such as Armadale Castle, Iona Abbey, Hamilton Palace by Glasgow, the Vatican in Italy, and Palace of Versailles in France.

1910 - 1914 - a steam locomotive named the Skylark was operated on that line.

1909 - production of Drambuie began in Edinburgh, soon being sold around the world.