Dunvegan

For other uses, see Dunvegan (disambiguation).
Dunvegan
Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Bheagain

A view of most of Dunvegan along with the Millennium Stone, visible on the skyline, overlooking the village
Dunvegan
 Dunvegan shown within the Isle of Skye
OS grid referenceNG251477
Civil parishDuirinish
Council areaHighland
Lieutenancy areaRoss and Cromarty
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town ISLE OF SKYE
Postcode district IV55
Dialling code 01470
Police Scottish
Fire Scottish
Ambulance Scottish
EU Parliament Scotland
UK ParliamentRoss, Skye and Lochaber
Scottish ParliamentRoss, Skye and Inverness West
List of places
UK
Scotland

Coordinates: 57°26′13″N 6°34′52″W / 57.437°N 6.581°W / 57.437; -6.581

Dunvegan (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Bheagain) is a small town on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It is famous for Dunvegan Castle, seat of the chief of Clan MacLeod. It is also the hometown of Celtic fusion band Peatbog Faeries. Dunvegan is within the parish of Duirinish.[1]

Name

In The Norse Influence on Gaelic Scotland (1910), George Henderson suggests that the name Dùn Bheagain derives from Old Gaelic Dùn Bheccáin ([the] fort of Beccán), Beccán being a Gaelic personal name. Dùn Bheagain would not mean 'little fort' as this would be Dùn Beag in Gaelic.

Geography

Dunvegan Castle

Dunvegan sits on the shores of the large Loch Dunvegan, and the Old School Restaurant in the village is noted for its fish, caught freshly from the loch itself. Dunvegan is situated at the junction of the A850, and the A863.[2] The B884 road also has a junction with the A863, at the eastern end of Dunvegan.[3]

Demography

Dunvegan's permanent population is declining. However, numbers staying in the area during holidays have increased dramatically over the years since 2001.

Economy

The town is now home to four hotels/ B&Bs, a bakery, a restaurant, a cobbler, two general stores, one filling station, a garage, tourist information, a gun shop, a fishing store and a fruit and vegetable shop. It also has a recycling point and other small facilities. Tourist information used to be situated in the parade of shops at Lochside, but is now available on a seasonal basis at Dunvegan Castle's St Kilda Shop. The Giant MacAskill Museum, which celebrates the life of Angus Mòr MacAskill was established in 1989 and is managed by Peter MacAskill, father of the street trials cycle rider Danny MacAskill.[4]

References

  1. "Details of Dunvegan". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  2. "A863". Sabre. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  3. "B884". Sabre. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  4. Danny MacAskill makes a career from defying death (15 February 2009) The Times. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dunvegan.
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