Taken at the Skye Museum of Island Life. When open visitors can wander around this island 'village' and get a real understanding of how harsh island life could be. From the largest of the crofts to smithy, barn, weavers' cottage and Ceilidh House the crofts or 'blackhouses' are equipped as they would have been around the close of the 19th century and feature tools used at the time and even an old hand loom.

Each croft would have bagpipes, a fiddle or Jewish harp as this was the their entertainment through the harsh winters, and the Ceilidh house was their meeting place. The Ceilidh House has a gallery of photos of island life in it today.

A peat fire provided heat and was where the cooking was done and lighting was by a cruise, a lamp burning fish liver oil.

Caught in the light before the approaching storm the crofts look quite attractive. I have added a black and white version in the PiP which I felt fitted the mood of the harder times back then.

I have added some Ceilidh music in the form of The Drams Ceilidh Band and 'Strip the Willow'

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGXAubk9BwA

HFF Everyone