Comunn Eachdraidh Shlèite
Sleat Local History Society

"Preserving the history of the parish of Sleat on the Isle of Skye"

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Townships

Duisdale Duisdail (The misty or gloomy dale or glen)

In the 18th century rentals several townships (eg Ostaig, Calligarry, Tarskavaig) were divided into two - Mòr and Beag (large and small). Duisdale is the only one to still keep this division in modern times.

Duisdale Beag

7 crofts

This was originally rented along with Morsaig by a family of MacKinnon tacksmen. Then, in the 1840s after the death of the last Tacksman, John MacKinnon, it was absorbed into Knock Farm. In 1876 it was set out to 8 new crofts.

Duisdale Mòr

Originally 8 crofts.

Four of these were cleared in 1867 to make way for the construction of Duisdale House. This was built for Lachlan MacKinnon, founder of the Melbourne Argus and son of the Rev John MacKinnon, minister of Strath. The house was turned into a hotel in 1933. It was requisitioned by the navy in the second war, and was not returned to civilian use until 1947, when it reverted back to being a hotel.

Duisdale was the site of the school serving both Camuscross and Duisdale. Closed in 1968, the old school building was used as a woollen mill, the Muileanbeg, in the 1970s. This woollen mill closed in the late 1980s. It was briefly the home of Abu Telly in the early 1990s. Abu Telly was one of the Gaelic television companies set up after the Gaelic Television Fund was established at the end of 1989.

A mission church, St Columba’s, was opened here in 1901.

Duisdale House Kitchen Staff