Struan, Skye
Struan (Scottish Gaelic: An Sruthan) is a small village situated on the west coast of the island of Skye, on the shores of Loch Beag, itself an inlet of Loch Harport. "Struan" is the anglicized form (and approximate pronunciation) of the Scottish Gaelic word sruthan, meaning "small stream", or the flow at the point where a spring appears.
It has a population of around 300. While there are four different Protestant denominations represented in the area, church attendance has declined dramatically, and Sabbath keeping is largely forgotten.
The local economy, like most of Skye, is heavily supported by tourism. Fishing, crofting and to a lesser extent, large-scale farming also contribute. Struan has a small local grocery shop, four churches, a petrol station, an outdoor shop and a primary school. Buried in the old graveyard are the climber, J. Norman Collie and his longtime Skye guide, John Mackenzie of Sconser.
Near the village stands Dun Beag (Historic Scotland; no entrance charge), one of the best-preserved Iron Age brochs in Scotland. The small settlement of Ullinish is about 1 km to the west and Bracadale is just a few hundred metres to the east.
Other uses
There is a second rural community in Scotland called Struan, in Perthshire. Strowan, also in Perthshire, west of Crieff, has the same origin.
Struan is also a traditional Scottish boy's name, commonly given to the chief of the Clan Robertson or Clan Duncan.
Struans are also the name for traditional Scottish cakes made for Michaelmas.[1]
In South Australia, near the town of Naracoorte is Struan House, a man named John Robertson from Struan in Scotland settled in the area and built Struan House in 1875.
Notes
- ^ Goldman, Marcy. "The Harvest Bread of Michaelmas". BetterBaking.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
External links
- Map sources for Struan, Skye
- Meanings of sruth (Stòr-dàta Briathrachais Gàidhlig)
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