Glendale Trust may take over Meanish Pier on Skye

Meanish Pier on north-west Skye has fallen into disrepair

A historic pier on Skye could be brought under community control.

Meanish Pier in Glendale was where marines were landed from a Royal Navy gunboat as part of a crackdown on rebellious crofters in the 1800s.

It was also used in the export of potatoes and wool and for landing herring and steam ship passengers.

Glendale Trust has been discussing with Highland Council about taking over the pier, which has fallen into disrepair, and putting it back into use.

The trust has secured a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery, which will pay for an engineer's report and business plan.

The pier has a long and colourful history.

During 1882 and 1883, crofters rose up against their laird who was clearing land of tenants to make way for large-scale sheep production.

HMS Jackal was sent into Loch Pooltiel to land marines at Meanish Pier to aid in the arrest of the rebellion's ringleader.

The pier was important to trade and helped to link the area with other parts of Skye and the mainland.

Trust chairman Ian Blackford said the pier's potential future uses were to be explored.

He said: "People perhaps forget that up until the 1950s road transport to Glendale was very limited.

"The main access into the community was indeed by sea. We used to have regular visits by the steamers, such as SS Hebrides.

"In more recent decades it is fair to say the pier has fallen into disrepair.

"The council took away part of the facility a few years ago and it is fairly difficult, or impossible, to access the pier today."

Mr Blackford added: "One of the things we will be discussing with the community of Glendale is whether or not things could be done to reinstate that again."