Edinbane

infobox UK place
official_name = Edinbane
gaelic_name = An t-Aodann Bàn
country = Scotland
unitary_scotland = Highland
lieutenancy_scotland = Ross and Cromarty
population =
latitude = 57.47
longitude = -6.43
os_grid_reference = NG343508
constituency_westminster = Ross, Skye and Lochaber
constituency_scottish_parliament = Ross, Skye and Inverness West
post_town = PORTREE
postcode_area = IV
postcode_district = IV51
dial_code = 01470

Edinbane (Scottish Gaelic: "An t-Aodann Bàn" the fair face) is a small village on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, positioned on the A850 road 14miles from Portree and 8 miles from Dunvegan.

There has been a settlement here since before 1600 but it was Kenneth MacLeod of Greshornish (1st December 1809, died unmarried in 1869) who founded the village. 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.

Kenneth McLeod took the care to ensure that there was a tradesman from each of the important crafts to sustain the needs of the village. His 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.

Thereafter, he returned to Skye and endeavoured to buy the tack of Gesto but MacLeod of MacLeod was not prepared to sell it. Kenneth then bought Orbost, Isle of Skye, Edinbane, Skirinish, Greshornishy, Tote and Skeabost and much of Portree.

He set up the first hospital on Skye in Edinbane and aptly named it Gesto.

The village is based around the crofts with a small primary school, two hotels and a pottery.

The Lodge at Edinbane which is suppose to be the oldest coaching inn on the isle of skye circa 1543 was built by Kenneth as a hunting lodge for him also the lodge was with gesto the first place to have electricity on the isle of skye which came from hydro in the coishletter river situated behind the the Lodge hotel.

The Lodge also use to be the land courts for the surrounding area where people were tried for sheep rustling and more serious crimes if they were found guilty and were sentenced to death they were hung in the gardens of the hotel. The hotel is also supposed to be haunted by various ghosts of different people who lived there

External links

*gbmapping|NG343508

[http://www.the-lodge-at-edinbane.co.uk the lodge at edinbane]