View source for Edinbane

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox UK place
| map_type                         = Isle of Skye
| official_name                    = Edinbane
| gaelic_name                      = An t-Aodann Bàn
| static_image_name                = Edinbane.jpg
| static_image_caption             = Edinbane at the head of Loch Greshornish
| country                          = Scotland
| unitary_scotland                 = [[Highland (council area)|Highland]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Ross and Cromarty]]
| population                       =
| coordinates                      = {{coord|57.47|-6.43|display=inline,title}}
| os_grid_reference                = NG343508
| constituency_westminster         = [[Ross, Skye and Lochaber (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Skye and Lochaber]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch]]
| post_town                        = PORTREE
| postcode_area                    = IV
| postcode_district                = IV51
| dial_code                        = 01470
}}
'''Edinbane''' ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: ''An t-Aodann Bàn'' the fair hill-face) is a small village on the island of [[Skye]], [[Scotland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Edinbane |url=http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst2202.html |website=The Gazetteer for Scotland |publisher=School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh and The Royal Scottish Geographical Society |access-date=18 June 2018}}</ref>
==Location==
Edinbane lies on the [[A850 road]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=A850|title=A850|publisher=Sabre|access-date=3 January 2015}}</ref> at the foot of the [[Waternish]] Peninsula on the [[Isle of Skye]], [[Scotland]], {{convert|14|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} from [[Portree]] and {{convert|8|mi|km|0|abbr=off}} from [[Dunvegan]]. The name ''An t-Aodann Bàn'' is said to be taken from the white bog cotton plants that can be found on the hill sides.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}} The village is based around the crofts with a small primary school and pottery. Notable buildings in Edinbane village are the former Gesto Hospital (c. 1870), the Edinbane Inn (c. 1900) and Edinbane Lodge, a stone-built hunting lodge built in 1543.
==History==
There has been a settlement here since before 1600, but it was Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish (1 December 1809, died unmarried in 1869) who founded the village.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/114732/details/skye+edinbane/|title=Skye, Edinbane|publisher=[[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland]]|work=Canmore|access-date=3 January 2015}}</ref>
===Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish===
[[File:Edinbane Lodge 2018.jpg|thumb|Edinbane Lodge]]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 dye|indigo]]. [[File:Kenneth Macleod of Gesto.jpg|thumb|Kenneth MacLeod of Gesto]]
Returning to Skye, he endeavoured to buy the [[Tacksman|tack]] of Gesto but [[Clan MacLeod|MacLeod of MacLeod]] was not prepared to sell. Kenneth then bought [[Orbost, Isle of Skye]], Edinbane, [[Skirinish]], [[Greshornishy]], [[Tote, Isle of Skye|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 has been renovated to luxury holiday accommodation Owlswood and Owls Nest apartments. .<ref name=undisc>{{cite web| url=http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/skye/edinbane/index.html| title=Edinbane| publisher=Undiscovered Scotland| access-date=14 October 2008}}</ref>
<gallery>
File:Edinbane Lodge in late 1930's.png|Edinbane Lodge in 1930s. Edward Langdale Hilleary on right of picture
</gallery>
===Edinbane Lodge===
Edinbane Lodge is the oldest [[coaching inn]] on the Isle of Skye,{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} dating from 1543.<ref name="auto">John MacInnes (2018) ''The Hillearys of Edinbane''. Dunblane: John MacInnes Associates {{ISBN|9780957370333}}</ref> Originally known as Tigh A Linne it operated as one of three change houses for travellers on their way between Portree and Dunvegan. It was purchased by Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish in the 1860s and converted into a [[Hunting lodge (U.K.)|hunting lodge]]. In 1920 the Lodge was purchased by Edward Langdale Hilleary, a wealthy London businessman, and his wife Edith (née Robertson), niece of Kenneth MacLeod. In 1927 Edward Langdale Hilleary constructed a small hydro plant on the Abhainn Coishletter just behind the Lodge. The scheme supplied electricity to the nearby Gesto hospital and also powered the Lodge.<ref name="auto"/> Among other uses, Edinbane Lodge has served as the land court for the surrounding area, where people were tried for various offences including sheep rustling and more serious crimes. If found guilty and sentenced to death, the accused were hanged in the garden grounds.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
===Wind farm fire===
On 24–25 April 2019, a major fire burned {{convert|5|sqmi|km2|abbr=off}} of forestry at Edinbane wind farm.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-48028191 |title=Crews called back to scene of major Moray wildfire |author=Ken Banks |publisher=BBC |date=25 April 2019 |access-date=26 April 2019}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
*John MacInnes (2015) ''Edinbane township, Isle of Skye: an island community and its people''; 2nd ed. John MacInnes Associates
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-132000-849000/page/11 BBC - Domesday Reloaded - Edinbane, Hebridean Township]
*[http://www.renewables-map.co.uk/details.asp?pageid=2059&pagename=Edinbane%20Wind%20Farm Renewables Map - Edinbane Wind Farm]
*[https://www.edinbanelodge.com/ Edinbane Lodge]
{{Skye}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Populated places in the Isle of Skye]]