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Against the backdrop of its striking, jagged mountain skyline, winding roads and ever-changing weather, the Isle of Skye has always drawn nature enthusiasts. During the past ten years, though, the largest island in the Inner Hebrides has been attracting visitors for additional factors – its thriving food and drink scene. At the forefront are emerging Sgitheanach (local residents) with a global outlook but a dedication to homegrown, sustainable ingredients. It’s also the result of an active community determined to create good, all-season jobs that keep young people on the island.

A Dedication to Local Produce

A Skye-born restaurateur is Skye born and bred, and he’s passionate about highlighting the island’s bounty on his menus. “When visitors arrive on Skye I want them to value the landscape, but also the quality of our produce,” he says. “Shellfish like mussels, lobster, scallops and crab from our waters are unsurpassed.” He honors tradition: “It holds great significance for me to use the same products as my forebears. My grandpa was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re savoring shellfish from the exact same sea lochs, with the same respect for ingredients.”

The chef's Island Flavors menu lists the distances his ingredients has journeyed. Visitors can sample fat scallops harvested manually in Loch Greshornish (no distance), and caught using traditional methods lobster from Portree (just a brief journey) with produce, wild herbs and edible flowers from the restaurant's plot and beach (zero miles). This link to produce and producers is essential. “Last week I brought a young chef out with a shellfish forager so he could understand what they do. We opened scallops freshly harvested and ate them raw with a hint of lemon juice. ‘I've never tasted a better scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. That’s what we want to deliver to the restaurant.”

Gastronomic Pioneers

Driving in a southerly direction, in the majesty of the imposing Cuillin mountains, another gastronomic advocate for Skye, Clare Coghill, manages a popular café. In the past year she promoted the nation's food at a celebrated international gastronomic gathering, presenting lobster rolls with spirit-infused butter, and haggis quesadillas. She initially launched her café elsewhere. Moving back to Skye over the past period, a series of pop-ups demonstrated there was a demand here too.

Over a specialty drink and exquisite citrus-marinated fish, she shares: “I take great pride that I opened in an urban setting, but I couldn’t do what I can do here. Sourcing quality produce was a huge mission, but here the scallops come straight from the sea to my restaurant. My shellfish supplier only speaks to me in the native language.” Her affection for Skye’s ingredients, locals and environment is apparent across her vibrant, creative dishes, all imbued with homegrown elements, with a twist of traditional heritage. “The link to Gaelic culture and dialect is incredibly significant,” she says. Visitors can use little lesson cards on the tables to learn a some phrases while they dine.

Several locals were employed in other places. We observed the ingredients arrive a long way from where it was caught, and it’s simply inferior

Innovation and Tradition

Skye’s more longstanding food destinations are constantly innovating. A charming inn managed by a prominent islander in her family’s ancestral home has long been a culinary hotspot. The family matriarch writes well-loved books on traditional recipes.

The culinary team regularly introduces new ideas, with a dynamic new generation led by an talented kitchen leader. When they’re not in the kitchen the chefs nurture herbs and spices in the hotel glasshouse, and gather for wild greens in the grounds and coastal plants like sea aster and beach plants from the water's edge of a nearby loch. In the harvest season they track animal paths to find wild mushrooms in the woodland.

Patrons can sample island-harvested shellfish, leafy vegetables and legumes in a flavorful broth; Atlantic cod with seasonal spears, and restaurant-cured shellfish. The hotel’s outdoor guide takes guests out for activities including foraging and angling. “Guests are very interested for hands-on opportunities from our visitors,” says the establishment's owner. “Guests are eager to come and really get to know the island and the landscape.”

Supporting the Community

The spirits production is also contributing to retain the younger generation on Skye, in jobs that extend past the summer period. An distillery leader at a local distillery shares: “The fish farm was a big employer in the past, but now the majority of positions are handled by machines. House prices have increased so much it’s challenging for new generations to stay. The whisky industry has become a crucial employer.”

“Jobs available for aspiring distillers” was the announcement that a young local woman noticed in her community newspaper, landing her a job at the spirits facility. “I took a chance,” she says, “I never thought I’d get a production job, but it was a personal goal.” She had an curiosity about whisky, but no prior experience. “Having the opportunity to train onsite and take online courses was amazing.” Now she is a key team member, guiding apprentices, and has recently created her own whisky using a unique grain, which is developing in oak at the time of writing. In different facilities, that’s an privilege usually granted to seasoned veterans. The tour facility and bistro hire numerous locals from around the local peninsula. “We become part of the community because we welcomed the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital