The Isle of Skye which happens to be the largest of all the Scottish isles is a region that has saw both its population and indeed its very heritage under constant attack. Whilst Gaelic was once the predominant language of the Isle of Skye there has been (for a variety of different reasons) a steady decline in the prevalence of the language and the most recent census has shown that roughly 30% of the population now speaks the language. As a result of this dying culture there has been a number of policies and decisions taken by the Scottish Government intended to resurrect and preserve this culture. Whether such policies will actually work in the long term remains to be seen.

The Isle of Skye relies heavily upon tourism which plays a prominent role in the economic prosperity and stability of the region although fortunately, the task of the tourist board is far from a difficult one by virtue of the fact that it is an area that is blessed with a number of scenic and picturesque backdrops, gorgeous landscapes and a number of wildlife as well.

The Isle of Skye suffered a decimation of its culture and population during the course of the 18th and 19th centuries as a result of both human and natural factors. A mass outbreak of plague and other diseases saw significant amounts of the working population killed off which in turn caused an unprecedented amount of damage to the fundamental stability of the economy as a whole.

These problems were further compounded and exacerbated as a direct results of the significant mass scale forced evictions referred to as "clearances" whereby farmers were forcibly removed from their land and homes by force if necessary. Between economic instability, a lack of political and social freedom, along with the brutal methods relied upon by the landlords to subdue and oppress their tenants (in a bid to keep them in a form of indentured servitude) many inhabitants of the Isle of Skye sought refuge and sanctuary by emigrating to Canada and America.

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