This Spring, take a trip around Skye with Skyeskyns
- Discover the refurbished Sligachan Hotel.
- Take a look around their newly decorated rooms, featuring luxurious Skyeskyns sheepskins.
- Get to know Deirdre Curley who is part of the fourth generation of the same family running the hotel.
- Get some inspiration for your next trip to Skye or your home décor.
Amongst Skye's most famous landmarks are the awe-inspiring and legendary Cuillin mountain range which attracts thousands of walkers and climbers each year.
The Cuillin Ridge is made up of two ranges, the Black Cuillins and the Red Cuillins, separated by Glen Sligachan. Whilst the Black Cuillin is a more challenging range than the Red, both should be approached with care and plenty preparation. But the effort is worth the reward with stunning vistas of Skye from every angle.
Right at the foot of the Cuillin and the starting point for many walks is the Sligachan Hotel. The hotel has been a fixture of the Skye tourism landscape since 1830. THe hotel has now been run by several generations of the same family.
With its restaurant and well-known Seumas' Bar, Sligachan Hotel also offers a bunkhouse, self-catering accommodation and campsite so there is something for everyone.
Deirdre grew up on Skye but she left at 16 to study acting. She moved back from Glasgow to her native island only a few months ago with her husband and young son to manage the Sligachan Hotel.
Gary, her husband, is also in management, as is her brother John, who is in charge of the kitchens. Deirdre published her first book last year 'Growing Up Pregnant' which recounts her pregnancy at the age of 19, and her desire to make things work for her career and her child.
She offers a fascinating insight into pregnancy and adjusting to motherhood when you are scarcely prepared for it.
Just like Deirdre, the Sligachan has undergone transformations in the last few years. Starting with Seumas' Bar, this space now reflects more closely the landscape it sits in.
The back wall of the bar is a large mural depicting a close up of the Inaccessible Pinnacle which makes it look like a climbing wall surface. In the newly refurbished hotel rooms, a new carpet pattern has been created which represents an OS map of the Cuillin contours.
The design based on rock formation continues to be a feature in the bedrooms, which all have a very contemporary feel in tones of grey blue and orange. The bathrooms are a delight; luxurious and inviting, with wood detailing around the showers, bathtubs and basins plus separate walk-in showers.
The Pinnacle Suite is the creme de la creme, an entire floor which offers the ultimate retreat for a couple, but is versatile enough to sleep 6 people. With its own fire, wide screen tv, sofa, chairs and dining table, its cosy bedroom, its beautiful and sumptuously large bathroom, topped off with wonderful Cuillin views, it is very special indeed.
In the room we pictured, we featured Norse grey sheepskins and a side-by-side double Donnetti Ruffer to bring extra softness and luxury to the room. The introduction of a Skye Weavers tweed and sheepskin cushion was a final touch of comfort to the soft furnishings, all in darker brown and grey tones which work well with the headboard leather and other fabrics in the room.
We asked Deirdre a few quirky questions to find out what kind of person she is:
Creatively messy or professionally pristine?
Creatively messy
What was the last picture you took on your phone?
A picture of my son Oscar dangling off monkey bars on his first day at the new Gaelic School in Portree.
What would you do with an afternoon to yourself?
I’d spend it writing my next book, followed by a bubble bath, followed by bubbles of the other variety.
What’s your most loved and loathed food?
Love shellfish. Loathe Avocado (darn allergies!)
When did you last shed a tear at a movie?
Three billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Who inspires you?
Every person who decides to chase their dreams and never gives up!
