Skye Museum of Island Life

Museum Overview

The Skye Museum of Island Life is located on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Hebrides. You can step back in time to an old highland village where visitors can enjoy a unique visitor experience. You will have a true insight into island life 100 years ago and the award-winning attraction is a must for visitors to the beautiful island. The museum opened in 1965 and its aim is to preserve a township of thatched cottages as closely as possible.

Thatched cottages were once all over the Scottish highlands. As their numbers diminished it was thought appropriate to preserve a few and with this, in mind, this group of old thatched buildings were set aside as a museum.

Today you can explore these cottages. There is a Croft Kitchen which is the largest one on-site, you can see where the family cooked, ate and sat. In the middle of the house, you can see the Croft bedroom. There is a barn, a weaver’s cottage, an Old Smithy and an old Ceilidh house where neighbours would have once gathered.