Raasay: The Island and Its People

Raasay forms part of the parish of Portree, Skye. This work is a history of Raasay and traces the island’s story from the medieval period into the 20th century, showing that, far from being a carbon copy of Skye, Raasay has a history of its own, forged by its own unique attributes. Although there are traces of human habitation dating from the last Ice Age, it is not until the 16th century that written records are found. This examination of these documents challenges many long-held assumptions about the island’s history, not least that the MacGilleCalum, or MacLeods of Raasay, were believed to have received Raasay from the MacLeods of Lewis, from whom they were directly descended.