The Isle of Skye lies on Europe's Atlantic fringe, off the north-west coast of Scotland.It is the largest of the islands that make up the Scottish Hebrides, and arguably the most recognisable from its distinctive outline.

The communities of the Island of Skye have a long-established connection with those on the adjacent mainland area of Lochalsh.

The entire area, for commercial and administrative purposes, has come to be known as Skye and Lochalsh. Included in the Skye and Lochalsh area are the inhabited islands of Raasay, Rona, Fladda, Scalpay, Pabay, and Soay. The area lies at a latitude of 57 to 58 degrees North but is blessed by warm ocean currents from the Atlantic which keep the weather temperate even in winter time. The total land area of Skye and Lochalsh is around 271,000 hectares.

Skye itself is about 50 miles (80km)long as the crow flies, but the distance by road from end to end is closer to 70 miles (115km). This is due to the indented nature of the coastline which means that nowhere on Skye is more than 5 miles (8km) from the sea.

The people of Skye and Lochalsh have links to many cultures both ancient and modern. The iron-age Picts, the early Christian Celts, the invading Norse and Scots have all made their mark upon the indigenous population which has in recent years been augmented by English, Europeans, and people from farther afield.

After a century of steady decline the population of Skye and Lochalsh began to grow in the early 1980s and now stands at around 12,000. This is partly the result of more young people staying in the area after leaving school or returning to the area after establishing themselves in their career. There has also been an influx of people from elsewhere who are looking for a better way of life than is now available in many of the urban centres of the world.