Edinbane
lies at the foot of the Waternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye,
Scotland, 14 miles from Portree and 8 miles from Dunvegan. The
name An t-Aodann Bàn (the fair hill-face) is said to be
taken from the white bog cotton plants that can be found on the
hill sides. The village is based around the crofts with a small
primary school, a pottery and two hotels.
There has
been a settlement here since before 1600, but it was Kenneth
MacLeod of Greshornish who founded the village. Kenneth
McLeod's family had farmed land in the Gesto area of Skye for
over 500 years. At the age of 15 he went to India, with his fare
paid out and one golden guinea in his pocket, given him by Mrs
MacDonald of Waternish. After a year's work, he took the river
boat down to Calcutta. On the way he went ashore and visited a
place where an auction of the contents of a sugar factory was in
progress. With his precious Guinea, he bought a copper boiler,
which he sold in Calcutta for £30. He now returned to the
derelict sugar factory and bought it for very little. This set
him on the ladder to making a fortune in India planting indigo.
Returning
to Skye, he endeavored to buy the tack of Gesto but MacLeod of
MacLeod was not prepared to sell. Kenneth then bought Orbost,
Isle of Skye, Edinbane, Skirinish, Greshornishy, Tote and
Skeabost and much of Portree. He ensured that the village had a
tradesman from each of the important crafts. He set up the first
hospital on Skye in Edinbane, aptly named Gesto. It is now
boarded up.
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