The Skye and Lochalsh Arts & Crafts Association produce an excellent Arts & Crafts Guide, available from the Hotel, with a useful map showing you where all the workshops, galleries and craft shops are situated. Although obviously not exhaustive it certainly gives you a great starting point!

There are photographic and painting galleries, ceramic and pottery workshops, local knitwear and textile shops and much more - often situated in beautiful and out of the way places not always on the tourist routes - always a bonus!!

Just follow their map and have a day or so discovering our local talent and hopefully finding that unique memento of your stay in Skye and Lochalsh.

We’ve hand picked a few of our favourites and provided weblinks to their sites, where you can get a tempting taster of what’s on offer!

The Uig Pottery
Distinctive pottery with decorations inspired by the local land and seascape. Our five main decorative styles are expressive landscape, brushwork floral, tartan, dolphins and hens. All pots are made of high-fired, reduced porcellaneous stoneware using lead-free glazes making them safe for food use.
They are also ovenproof, microwave and dishwasher safe.
Commissions undertaken for single pieces and sets. Postal service available. www.uigpottery.co.uk

Dandelion Designs & Images Gallery
We produce a wide range of distinctive hand decorated woodcrafts, wall plaques, clocks and boxes. Each item bears an original design or illustration using techniques ranging from pyrography (drawing with fire) to conventional watercolour painting.
The Skye environment in all its forms is a constant inspiration but also Celtic patterns and the curves and swirls of Art Nouveau
all play their part in the final design. www.dandelion-designs.co.uk

Duncan House
Traditional & Custom Celtic Jewellery, each piece created by self taught artist, Garth Duncan, using many of the same methods and integrity that the original artists used, laying out the design by hand and then painstakingly carving by hand.
Every piece is hand made by Garth, so any of the designs or stones can be altered to your wants or needs. www.duncan-house.com

Castle Keep
All the blades are hand forged from quality tool or spring steels, ground, hardened and tempered to give the desired properties, flexibility and toughness in a sword and fine cutting edges in all the knives, giving the ability to take, and hold an edge. Orders can be taken of stock designs (see examples on their website) or special commissions can be undertaken. “Basically I will undertake any special design that it is possible to think up and create.” Rob Miller has been a practising bladesmith since 1990 and produces a wide range of quality products to commission using the old blacksmith methods - his only concession to modern technology is a belt grinder. The majority of his work is unique and Rob is willing to add any embellishments to your order. Common additions include acid etching, silverwork and wood carving. www.castlekeep.co.uk

Highland Origins
A contemporary craft gallery featuring the very best work from
the Isle of Skye & the West Highlands of Scotland.
Highland Origins is on the A87 overlooking the famous Eilean Donan Castle on the road to the Isle of Skye. www.highlandorigins.com

Skye Jewellery
Skye Jewellery was established in 1993 by husband and wife team Cheryl and Antony Shepherd. Originally from Birmingham where Antony completed his apprenticeship in the famous Jewellery Quarter, he and Cheryl set up the business and began by making Celtic wedding rings. Later the company began setting stones and pieces of Skye marble into the rings, and when a customer requested matching earrings, the jewellery collections were born.
Now all rings are beautifully complemented by a matching range of jewellery, and each piece is created with the same attention to detail. The company which is a small family concern, employs only a handful of staff. However, due to their success the business recently moved into larger premises, where stunning showcases proudly display a vast selection of Scottish jewellery and giftware, and visitors can see into the workshop and the exclusive Skye jewellery collections being hand crafted. www.skyejewellery.co.uk

Laurence Broderick Sculptures
In his figurative and abstract, bronze and stone sculpture, Laurence Broderick draws inspiration from the female figure and wildlife, in particular the otter and endangered species. When learning of the plight of turtles, polar bears, rhinos and elephants due to man's abuse, it had a profound and emotive effect on expressing his art.
The scale of work ranges from small bronze maquettes up to very large outdoor sculptures of monumental proportions. He also specialises in commissioned portrait heads in bronze, of adults and children.
He was awarded Associate Membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts .
Laurence Broderick is predominantly a stone carver, working with many types of stone including Ledmore, Portsoy and Purbeck Marbles, Alabaster, Polyphant Soapstone, Hopton Wood and Ancaster Limestone. He also models in clay, plasticine, plaster and wax for casting into bronze. www.laurencebroderick.co.uk

Glenelg Candles & Coffee Shop
Glenelg Candles is a new building of unique design... grass-roofed, curved and built of local timber... in the tranquil setting of a Georgian walled garden:
“It is here we make our range of hand-crafted candles... Highland Landscapes, Marbled Candles, Aromatherapy Candles... to name but a few of our popular product lines. We also stock a range of candle-holders and oil-lamps, together with a wide selection of Scottish and Celtic crafts, gifts and books.
Our coffee-shop is open throughout the day and you are welcome to sit and relax in either gallery or veranda, courtyard or garden. Home-made soups and salads, and home-baked cakes and biscuits are all freshly prepared on the premises. Our gallery features paintings by local artists, old photographs of the area, and regular visiting exhibitions. Live music is another regular feature.
We have full access for the disabled.” www.glenelgcandles.co.uk

Ragamuffin
Lesley Robertson originally founded Ragamuffin whilst she was still at school - making jewellery and clothes and selling them to friends. Whilst at university, Lesley began designing costumes for theatre productions and updated and sold 1920's clothes. After graduating from university, she went to Skye on holiday, fell in love with a dog and never left! Inspired by the landscapes & seascapes around skye and with a passion for fabric colour & texture, Lesley started to knit and design clothes that were comfortable, functional & fun. Slowly she became known in the area for her quirky designs and opened her first Ragamuffin shop in a dilapidated studio — with the help of friends the business grew and moved to the pier at Armadale where Ragamuffin still is today. www.ragamuffinonline.co.uk

Shilasdair Yarns
Natural dyeing on natural fibres. Traditional dyeing from Scotland, using local dyeplants together with indigo, madder, cochineal and logwood, produce our vibrant yarns and contemporary range of hand knitted designer sweaters, some handspun, and accessories such as felted hats and scarves, and natural dyed socks. And while Scottish wool predominates, there is more than a touch of luxury in the cashmere, angora, alpaca and silk blends chosen to compliment the wool in our yarns, handknit garments and knitkits. www.shilasdair-yarns.co.uk

Milinke Crafts
The home of Skye made products for all ages, made on the premises by Lin and Mike the husband and wife partnership. Wherever possible materials used are natural, ecologically sustainable and environmentally friendly. Product range includes Decoupage, knitted/fabric toys, wood turning, traditional wooden toys and beadwork. Fiskavaig Tel: 01478 640754

An Tuireann Arts Centre & Cafe
A centre for contemporary visual arts and craft, with a changing programme of exhibitions, outreach and educational activities bringing the best of national and international work to the area and promoting local talent. The craft showcase regularly features a local maker each month and carries a wide range of crafts including jewellery, handmade cards and poetry books etc. Their licensed wholefood cafe/bar is open daily - with great views of Portree bay. www.antuireann.org.uk

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