Skye Museum of Island Life

The Skye Museum of Island Life stands in Kilmuir on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. It is a small open-air museum made up of seven reconstructed cottages. Some of these cottages serve as homes and workshops, while others house themed exhibitions and one contains a museum shop. The museum shows how people lived on Skye in past centuries. Exhibits cover the distinctive black houses, local work, religion, poverty and emigration. Original cottages and tools sit alongside reconstructions. Nearby, the Kilmuir graveyard holds the grave of Flora MacDonald, a figure known for her role in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Visitors walk among the cottages and see displays inside. The black houses, with their thatched roofs and stone walls, give a clear picture of traditional life. The graveyard and its surroundings add a quiet place for reflection. The museum brings the island’s history to life in a simple, direct way.