Torrin, or Na Torran to use its Gaelic name, is a picturesque
crofting community nestling near the head of Loch Slapin, a narrow sea
loch in southwest Skye.
Torrin from the west bank of Loch Slapin.
Torrin from the west bank of Loch Slapin.
The community which dates back over 2,000 years,
is the foreground to what many regard as one of the finest mountain
views in Scotland, Blaven. Torrin itself sits on Durness limestone,
which accounts for the greenness, abundance of trees and varied plant
flora, including more than a dozen species of orchids. Indeed much of
the area is designated a site of special scientific interest. Amid the
starkness of the generally treeless landscape of Skye, the area is truly
an oasis. The community is 9km (6 miles) by road from Broadford, 50km
(30 miles) from Portree and 148 km (92 miles) from Inverness, the
capital of the Scottish highlands.
Housing
A number of new houses have been build though sadly these are of the
featureless kit-built, white roughcast variety that permeates the
Highlands and Islands. At the end of 1998 the old post office was
sympathetically converted in to a modern "traditional" dwelling. A
number of other traditional buildings, including the Church that closed
in 1990, have likewise undergone renovation and turned in to homes.
The primary school at Torrin was used during the 1940s by Royal Marine Commandos
as a base for mountain training. The building is now used as a school outdoor
activity centre. A snow capped Blaven can been seen in the background.
The primary school at Torrin was used during the 1940s by Royal Marine Commandos
as a base for mountain training. The building is now used as a school outdoor
activity centre. A snow capped Blaven can been seen in the background.
The primary school, which in the 1920s was attended by over 20 children,
closed in 1961 and is today used as a school outdoor activity centre.
At its peak in the last century around 120 people lived in the
community. By 1989 this had dropped to 40 people. Today this has risen
to around 65 over a third of whom speak Gaelic. The increase is due
mainly to families with children, and a number of young couples, having
moved to Torrin in the last few years. Children form a quarter of the
present population, which bodes well for the future. Primary school
children living in Torrin go to Broadford Primary School on the Royal
Mail post bus. Older children travel daily by bus to Portree High
School.
Crofting
There are five working crofts in Torrin with some 60 cattle and 500
sheep. The sheep belong to a stock club in which the crofters, including
some non-working crofters, have shares. As well as having their own
crofts, the crofters also share common grazing rights. The common
grazing land surrounds Torrin and extends up on to red granite hills of
709m (2,326 feet) Beinn Dearg Mhor, literally "the big red hill", and
584m (1,916 feet) Beinn Dearg Bheag, "the small red hill", which rise
immediately to the north of the community. The common grazing continues
beyond the head of Loch Slapin towards Luib and round to the front of
Blaven.
Torrin telephone box, +44 (0)1471 822313..
Torrin telephone box, +44 (0)1471 822313.
Sheep live on the common grazing throughout the year and cattle are
kept there during the summer. Crofters buy in hay from the mainland to
feed their animals in the winter and while some grow their own hay as
well, this is never enough for the whole winter. Recent Crofter Forestry
legislation allows crofter to grow trees on common grazing land without
the landlord having the right to the proceeds received from selling the
timber. Grants are available to assist crofters to establish such
forests. Crofters in Torrin are considering whether to participate in
the scheme. Any new forest would be of the mixed variety, not like the
vast plantations of Sitka Spruce we are used to seeing today.
In the middle of the 19th Century Alexander Macalister owned the
adjacent Strathaird estate. In 1851 he decided to graze sheep on the
lower slopes of Blaven giving the excuse that his tenants owed him £450
in rent arrears. He thoughtfully offered to forget the debt if the
tenants gave him a "douceur" of £1,200 and emigrated to Australia or
Canada. Predictably, and as he had hoped, most of his tenants were
forced to emigrate.
In 1980 plans were put forward to build a water sports centre on Loch
Slapin with power boating, water skiing and accommodation for around 50
tourists. Despite the strong opposition of the crofters, planning
permission was granted. Only the unforeseen death of the developer
stopped this environmentally damaging scheme going ahead.
Wildlife
Skye has few beaches primarily because the erosion of the main rock
types found around the coastline do not produce a suitable sandy
sediment. Combined with the long deep sea lochs and steep coastal
shelves it is not surprising that Skye has only a handful of sandy
beaches. Fortunately one of those sandy beaches can be found in Torrin.
A variety of wildlife including seals may be seen the
beach. You may also see otters there and on the neighbouring
headland but they are very secretive. Golden eagles can occasionally
be spotted high above Torrin. If you are fortunate you may also see
Sea Eagles which not so long ago were reintroduced into Scotland on
the nearby Isle of Rùm and have now spread to Skye. Other large
birds common around Torrin include herons, buzzards, guillemots and
greenshanks. Finally the area has over 30 different species of
mollusc - if you don't know what this means you probably don't want
to ask!
Torrin Marble
Outside of crofting, quarrying is still a major industry, relatively
speaking, in the Strath valley. The Ben Suardal quarry on the road from
Broadford to Torrin closed in 1914 (though it briefly reopened between
1935 and 1939). The community of Torrin however once boasted two
quarries at either end of the village, one of which is still in
producing Skye Marble.
The remains of the first Torrin marble, opened in 1951 and now only used for storage by the new quarry (and sheep!).
The remains of the first Torrin marble,
opened in 1951 and now only used for storage by the new quarry (and sheep!).
The first and smaller of the two quarries opened in 1951 on the
Blaven side of Torrin, nestling on the shore of Loch Slapin at Cnoc
Slapin. The extracted rock was used primarily in the production of
agricultural lime.
The abandoned quarry is no longer used for extraction and is
something of an eyesore. Long outstanding plans to landscape the area
finally came to partial fruition at the end of 2001 with the removal of
the industrial flotsam littering the site. The area was partially
landscaped but some of the old buildings and structures remain rusting
gracefully in the salt-laden air.
Glasgow paint manufacturer, William Thomson Forsyth, started the main
quarry at the Broadford end of Torrin in 1960. He leased the land
extracting and grinding up the lime and magnesium rich marble for
agricultural usage. By 1965 the quarry was producing around 3,500 tons
of product per year most of being used on Skye. Messrs N McLeod and Co.
of Portree reached agreement in 1966 with the then owners, Kneeshaw
Lupton and Co. to extract marble for building purposes.
Danger blasting. This sign at the entrance to Torrin quarry has perhaps seen better days.
Danger blasting. This sign at the entrance to Torrin quarry has perhaps seen better days.
In 1970 McLeod and Co. purchased the quarry. Today the quarry is
owned by Leiths Group and
provides valuable employment for around 12 people. The extent of the
quarry workings are best appreciated from the road to Kilbride.
Marble continues to be mined and crushed on site. The main products
are agricultural lime, pebbledash for housing, ready-mix concrete
products and some decorative marble. Larger pieces of marble are used
for souvenirs which can be purchased locally in Broadford or on-line
from Isle of Skye Cuillin
Marbles.
John Muir Trust
In 1991 the 2,020 hectare (5,000 acre) Torrin estate, comprising the
crofts and common grazing but not houses, buildings or gardens, was
purchased for £180,000 by the John Muir
Trust, one of Britain's youngest conservation bodies.
John Muir is very well known in the US as a leading historical
conservationist but practically unknown in his native Scotland. He was
born 1838 in Dunbar, East Lothian but his family emigrated to America in
the first half of the 19th century when he was 11 years of age. In the
later half of the 19th century he was instrumental in the campaign to
preserve the Yosemite area of California and in the formation of the US
national parks. He is also the principle founder powerful
Sierra Club environmental group.
Californians celebrate "John Muir Day" every year on the 21st of
April.
Nigel Hawkins, a Dundee environmental consultant, the late Chris
Brasher CBE, Olympic gold medallist, journalist and founder of the
London Marathon, author
Nicholas Luard and Denis Mollison formed the John Muir Trust in 1983.
The group chose Muir's name because they felt he should be celebrated in
his own country.
The patron of the trust since 1988 is His Royal Highness
The Prince of Wales who
visited the estate in June 1992.
John Muir commemorative 25-cent coin selected by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and first issued in 2005.
John Muir commemorative 25-cent coin selected by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and first issued in 2005.
In November 1994 the John Muir Trust purchased the neighbouring
Strathaird Estate which includes Blaven and 47 crofts from Ian Anderson.
Anderson, lead vocalist and flautist of 1970s group
Jethro Tull, had been the hands-on
landlord for the previous 16 years. Today he continues to take an
interest in the company he founded, Strathaird Farms Ltd, which
continues to operate a number of fish farms, including the Strathaird
estate.
Today the Trust is managing the area jointly with the local
community. Footpath repairs, archaeological digs, drystane dyking,
bracken removal and tree planting projects are being carried out.
Shops
As with many villages throughout Britain, facilities in Torrin
diminished over the years due to the decline in population and the
ascendancy of the motor car as part of rural life. At one time Torrin
had a number of shops but the last one, a corrugated iron hut attached
to a house, closed in the late 1960s. The shop is just visible in the postcard
here. Relocated, the hut continues to serve to this
day as a domestic garage and shed in the village. Residents of Torrin now do their shopping
in the supermarkets of Broadford, Kyle of Lochalsh, Portree and Inverness.
This cafe and shop opened in Torrin during 2001. Costing £24,000 to build, it was funded by the John Muir Trust,
Highland Council and Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise. This is the first shop to
trade in the village since the last one closed in the late 1960s.
This cafe and shop opened in Torrin during 2001. This is the first shop to
trade in the village since the last one closed in the late 1960s.
Shopping returned to the village in June 2001 when the Torrin
Management Committee opened Am Bothan (the Gaelic name for a small hut
or shed). Costing £24,000 to build, it was funded by the John Muir
Trust, Highland Council and Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise. Initially run by Marina Campbell and her mother Mairi Stoddart
it was renamed The Blue Shed Cafe in early 2005. It is currently run by
Angela Smith and offers essential groceries, a selection of local
crafts, childrens play area and, of course, a cafe.
Gallery
A selection of photographs of Torrin appear below. More photographs
of Blaven, Torrin,
Isle of Skye and beyond can be found on the
Gallery page.
This beautiful cottage was restored during the 2000s.
Torrin from the west bank of Loch Slapin.
Torrin's church was converted in to a family home in the early 1992. It now offers self-catering accomodation for up to eight people.
Approaching Torrin with a snow covered Blaven in the background.
Approaching Torrin with Blaven in the background.
The rear hut used to be the Torrin shop. It was moved to the current location after the shop closed in the 1960s.
The old marble quarry (left) and Torrin from the west bank of Loch Slapin.
Torrin and a snow covered Blaven.
Torrin barns.
Torrin buildings painted by torchlight (flashlight) and passing car headlights.