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With its striking, rugged mountain skyline, winding roads and constantly shifting weather, the Isle of Skye has long appealed to lovers of the wild. During the past ten years, however, the biggest island in the Inner Hebrides has been attracting visitors for other reasons – its thriving food and drink scene. At the forefront are young Sgitheanach (Skye natives) with a international perspective but a devotion to regional, environmentally conscious ingredients. This is also driven by an active community determined to create rewarding, all-season jobs that keep young people on the island.

A Passion for Local Produce

One local chef is a native of the island, and he’s deeply committed to showcasing the island’s larder on his menus. “If someone is coming to Skye I want them to cherish the landscape, but also the quality of our offerings,” he says. “Our mussels, lobster, scallops and crab are unsurpassed.” He honors tradition: “It is profoundly important to me to use the same ingredients as my ancestors. My grandpa was a fisherman who caught lobster and we’re savoring crustaceans from the same stretch of water, with the same respect for ingredients.”

The chef's A Taste of Skye menu displays the mileage his products has journeyed. Visitors can enjoy plump scallops hand-dived in a nearby sea loch (zero miles), and trapped in creels lobster from Portree (a short distance) with greens, gathered seasonings and blossoms from the garden from the restaurant's plot and seashore (hyper-local). The relationship to ingredients and suppliers is crucial. “A short while ago I took a young chef out with a scallop diver so he could learn what they do. We opened scallops directly from the sea and consumed them uncooked with a dash of citrus. ‘That’s the best scallop I’ve ever eaten,’ he said. That’s what we want to bring to the restaurant.”

Gastronomic Pioneers

Traveling south, in the majesty of the mighty Cuillin mountains, another gastronomic advocate for Skye, a passionate local chef, operates a bustling café. Recently Coghill promoted the nation's food at a renowned international gastronomic gathering, presenting shellfish buns with whisky butter, and haggis quesadillas. She first started her café in a different city. Coming back to Skye in recent years, a temporary events demonstrated there was a market here too.

During a meal featuring a unique beverage and mouthwatering citrus-marinated fish, she notes: “It was an achievement that I established elsewhere, but I couldn’t do what I can do here. Sourcing fresh ingredients was a major challenge, but here the seafood come directly from the water to my kitchen. My shellfish supplier only speaks to me in Gaelic.” Her affection for Skye’s ingredients, people and landscape is evident across her colourful, innovative dishes, all filled with regional tastes, with a twist of Gaelic. “The link to Gaelic culture and dialect is incredibly significant,” she says. Guests can use educational materials on the tables to discover a few words while they enjoy their meal.

A lot of us were employed in other places. We witnessed the ingredients be delivered far from where it was landed, and it’s simply inferior

Blending Old and New

Skye’s more longstanding dining establishments are not resting on their laurels. A boutique hotel run by a heritage keeper in her family’s ancestral home has traditionally been a foodie destination. The owner's mother authors well-loved books on Scottish cookery.

The chefs continues to innovate, with a dynamic young team led by an experienced head chef. When they’re taking a break from cooking the chefs nurture herbs and spices in the hotel glasshouse, and forage for wild greens in the grounds and sea herbs like seaside vegetation and scurvygrass from the water's edge of a local sea inlet. In the fall they pursue deer trails to find mushrooms in the woods.

Visitors can sample Skye scallops, leafy vegetables and peanuts in a delicious dashi; Atlantic cod with Scottish asparagus, and restaurant-cured shellfish. The hotel’s activity leader takes guests out for activities including foraging and angling. “Guests are very interested for experiences from our guests,” says the manager. “Guests are eager to come and really get to know the island and the landscape.”

Supporting the Community

The spirits production is also helping to retain the younger generation on Skye, in careers that extend past the peak tourism months. An production head at a island whisky producer notes: “The fish farm was a big employer in the past, but now the majority of positions are automated. Real estate values have gone up so much it’s challenging for the youth to stay. The spirits sector has become a vitally significant employer.”

“Distillers wanted, no experience necessary” was the announcement that a recently graduated island resident spotted in her regional publication, securing her employment at the whisky producer. “I took a chance,” she says, “I never thought I’d get a production job, but it was a dream of mine.” She had an fascination with whisky, but no prior experience. “To be able to receive hands-on instruction and take online courses was amazing.” Now she is a senior distiller, helping to train trainees, and has crafted her personal blend using a distinctive ingredient, which is maturing in barrels during the visit. In different facilities, that’s an recognition usually reserved for retiring distillers. The tasting room and coffee shop employ a significant number from around the nearby region. “We integrate with the community because we attracted the community here,” says a {tour guide manager|visitor experience lead|hospital