Staffin Community Trust / Urras an Taobh Sear
The Trotternish peninsula of north east Skye has families whose story is carved into the Scottish landscape through centuries. Urras an Taobh Sear - the Staffin Community Trust - was founded in 1995 to challenge the decline of such a population. To date, the Trust has raised over £800,000 for its local community. Significant investments include a new slipway and breakwater in response to community will, and the development of Ceumannan, an outdoor ecomuseum. The Trust is investing in meaningful interpretation, path building, historical research, indigenous tree planting and a new educational course called Sgeulachdan na Tìre (The Talking Landscape).
The latest development - Sùil an t-Solais - is part of Highland 2007. The Skye Photography Festival will take place during the first week of October 2007. The Fèis is sandwiched between Scottish Geology week and Highland Archaeology fortnight, avoiding the Royal National Mod. But geology, archaeology and cultural heritage feature prominently in the Fèis programme. There will be outdoor field trips into the fascinating geological landscape of Cuith-raing where cattle were hidden in former times and down to Brothers’ Point where you can see Rubha Rèidh across the Sound of Rona. Debates will include “What is a photograph?” alongside noted photographers. One theme challenges the group to go in search of Martin Martin, who wrote the original description of the Western Ises.
Everyone from Skye and beyond is welcome to attend the events. One specific outdoor event - at Loch Cuithir beneath the Hill of the Red Fox will be aimed at people who are less physically able, or even wheelchair bound. Participants in Sùil an t-Solais will be encouraged to explore many ways of seeing the landscape before clicking. There are usually six sides to the basalt columns so distinctive in Trotternish. And there are many levels of photography. One aim is to portray how the Trotternish story of people and language, wildlife and land-use, geology and archaeology – to say nothing of the elements – is one that is moulded together. Exhibitions with old and new photographs will feature in the communities of Staffin, Kilmuir and Uig (Iochdar Thròndairnis). The final event – ‘the knot in the basalt’ - will be an evening with Gus Wylie who captured those memorable Hebridean images of the 1970s and 80s.
A number of photographers will participate in the Festival, including Caroline Dear, Phil Gorton, James MacDonald, Rhona Mackinnon, Cailean Maclean, Jon Pear and Gus Wylie. Also participating in the field trips will be poet Maoilios Caimbeul, Sìne Ghilleasbuig of Urras an Taobh Sear, biologist John Love, ecologist Alastair McIntosh, singer Anne Martin, Dugald Ross of Staffin Museum, John White of Skye’s Outdoor Centre and Archaeologist Martin Wildgoose.
Urras an Taobh Sear is chaired by Donald MacDonald of Glasphein. The Trust gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors. Contact us for more details
The Trotternish peninsula of north east Skye has families whose story is carved into the Scottish landscape through centuries. Urras an Taobh Sear - the Staffin Community Trust - was founded in 1995 to challenge the decline of such a population. To date, the Trust has raised over £800,000 for its local community. Significant investments include a new slipway and breakwater in response to community will, and the development of Ceumannan, an outdoor ecomuseum. The Trust is investing in meaningful interpretation, path building, historical research, indigenous tree planting and a new educational course called Sgeulachdan na Tìre (The Talking Landscape).
The latest development - Sùil an t-Solais - is part of Highland 2007. The Skye Photography Festival will take place during the first week of October 2007. The Fèis is sandwiched between Scottish Geology week and Highland Archaeology fortnight, avoiding the Royal National Mod. But geology, archaeology and cultural heritage feature prominently in the Fèis programme. There will be outdoor field trips into the fascinating geological landscape of Cuith-raing where cattle were hidden in former times and down to Brothers’ Point where you can see Rubha Rèidh across the Sound of Rona. Debates will include “What is a photograph?” alongside noted photographers. One theme challenges the group to go in search of Martin Martin, who wrote the original description of the Western Ises.
Everyone from Skye and beyond is welcome to attend the events. One specific outdoor event - at Loch Cuithir beneath the Hill of the Red Fox will be aimed at people who are less physically able, or even wheelchair bound. Participants in Sùil an t-Solais will be encouraged to explore many ways of seeing the landscape before clicking. There are usually six sides to the basalt columns so distinctive in Trotternish. And there are many levels of photography. One aim is to portray how the Trotternish story of people and language, wildlife and land-use, geology and archaeology – to say nothing of the elements – is one that is moulded together. Exhibitions with old and new photographs will feature in the communities of Staffin, Kilmuir and Uig (Iochdar Thròndairnis). The final event – ‘the knot in the basalt’ - will be an evening with Gus Wylie who captured those memorable Hebridean images of the 1970s and 80s.
A number of photographers will participate in the Festival, including Caroline Dear, Phil Gorton, James MacDonald, Rhona Mackinnon, Cailean Maclean, Jon Pear and Gus Wylie. Also participating in the field trips will be poet Maoilios Caimbeul, Sìne Ghilleasbuig of Urras an Taobh Sear, biologist John Love, ecologist Alastair McIntosh, singer Anne Martin, Dugald Ross of Staffin Museum, John White of Skye’s Outdoor Centre and Archaeologist Martin Wildgoose.
Urras an Taobh Sear is chaired by Donald MacDonald of Glasphein. The Trust gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors. Contact us for more details