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Coordinates: 57°24'44?N 6°11'22?W? / ?57.41207, -6.189499
Portree (Scottish Gaelic: Port Rìgh, the King's port) is the largest town on Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.[2] There are four ways to get to Portree: via the Skye Bridge; the Mallaig to Armadale ferry; the (seasonal) Kylerae ferry; and from the Western Isles to Uig. It is the location for the only secondary school on the Island, Portree High school. Public transport services are limited to buses.
Portree has a harbour, fringed by cliffs, with a pier designed by Thomas Telford.[3] Attractions in the town include the Aros Centre and the An Tuireann Arts Centre, both of which celebrate the island's Gaelic heritage. The town also serves as a centre for tourists exploring the island.[4]
The town possibly takes its name from a visit by King James V of Scotland in 1540. However this etymology has been contested, since James did not arrive in peaceful times. Some authorities believe derivation to have been from Port Ruighe, 'slope harbour', or Portrigheadh - 'port of the hillside'. Prior to the sixteenth century the settlement's name was Kiltragleann ('the church of St. Talarican in the glen').[5]
The Royal Hotel is the site of MacNab's Inn, the last meeting place of Flora MacDonald and Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1746.[2][6]
The town plays host to the Isle of Skye's shinty club, Skye Camanachd.[7]
Around 939 (37.72%) of the population can speak Scottish Gaelic.
[edit] Portree in fiction
In the Harry Potter novels the famed Hogwarts Keeper, Oliver Wood is from Portree, and he later joins the town's Quidditch team, Pride of Portree.
The movie "Made of Honor" also partially takes place in Portree, where a sweeping shot of the town's main street is shown.
[edit] References
- , Census 2001. Population figures. Retrieved on August 17, 2005.
- , a b Murray, W.H. (1966) The Hebrides. London. Heinemann. Pages 154-5.
- , "Portree" Portree Regeneration. Retrieved on 15 September 2007.
- , "Portree" Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved on 15 September 2007.
- , Iain Mac an Tailleir. Placenames (pdf). Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- , Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh. Canongate. Pages 173-4
- , "Skye Camanachd" skyecamanachd.com. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
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