Pabay is a small island just off Skye. On Pabay are the ruins of a small chapel, built originally by St. Columba’s monks. After the chapel fell into disuse and the monks left, it became a refuge for outlaws ‘broken men’ and robbers. They caused much trouble on the main island of Skye. Legend has it this bunch of criminals met their end in a very unusual way. They had, of course many enemies and their chief decided to rid himself of them all with the help of the Devil. The band made up a huge fire and roasted three cats alive chanting the appropriate spells, an infallible way of raising the Evil One if you get the spells right. It was told that several minor demons appeared, but the robber chief insisted that he would only deal with the Devil himself.

Eventually Satan rose from the earth and asked their will. The robber chief told the Devil to kill two men whom the chief feared. The Devil responded “The price of two lives is two souls”. This worried the gang and an argument began. Now, the chief had been known to boast that if he could only get swords that would not melt, he would be able to conquer Hell and capture Satan himself. The Devil reminded him of this and accepted his challenge, offering to kill all his enemies if he won the battle. The Devil was to fight the band for their souls ‘here on the shore where swords do not melt.’ The robber chief was so arrogant that he agreed. A fearfull battle ensued, the Devil and his legions overcoming all the bandits who were armed with claymores or broadswords but failed to harm the chief, whose sword had a cross hilt. Suddenly a great black cat jumped from nowhere onto the chief’s sword arm, causing him to drop his blade. He was never seen again.

The blackened stones where the evil fire was lit, on the beach near Ardnish can still be seen, proof to the truth of this tale.

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One of the most treasured possessions of the clan MacLeod is the famous Fairy Flag of Dunvegan. The story behind the flag is one of the greatest romantic tales in all the highlands.

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Legend tells us the range of mountains called ‘The Five Sisters’ came into existance by the Grey Magician of Coire Dhunnid.

The local Chief had seven daughters, the youngest two of these were loved dearly by two Irish princes. A deal was agreed with the Chief that they would be allowed to marry his youngest daughters if the Princes would return to Ireland and get their five older brothers to travel back to Kintail to wed the five older sisters. A sort of package deal.

Unfortunately these two princes were caught in a viscious storm while at sea, their ship capsised and they were cast ashore.

The five sisters waited and waited, they asked the Grey Magician to extend their vigil and also to preserve their beauty into the after- life, he did this by casting a spell and turning them into the mountains that we see today.

The Five Sisters mountain range lies at the head of Loch Duich, at the western end of Glen Shiel.

Sgur Uran, the Clan MacRae slogan or war cry, is the name of the tallest peak in the Five Sisters mountain range.

The Five Sisters

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