Uig Tower
Uig Tower, sometimes referred to as MacLeod's Tower, is a small but striking stone tower ruin that stands on a prominent hillock overlooking the village of Uig on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye. It is a folly-style structure of probable eighteenth or early nineteenth century origin, though it occupies a commanding position that has clearly been of strategic value for far longer. The tower draws visitors not so much for its architectural grandeur — it is modest in scale — but for the extraordinary panoramic views it affords over Uig Bay, one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the Scottish Hebrides. From its base, the eye is carried across the wide, sheltered curve of the bay, past the ferry terminal that links Skye to the Outer Hebrides, and out toward the open waters of the Minch.
The tower is associated with the MacLeod clan, who were historically the dominant force across much of northern Skye. The Trotternish peninsula was contested between the MacLeods and the MacDonalds for centuries, and the high ground above Uig served as a watchtower and signal point during these prolonged territorial struggles. The structure as it stands today is not medieval, but it is built on a site with far older resonances. Local tradition holds that the hillock on which the tower sits was used as a lookout long before any permanent structure was erected, and the commanding sightlines over the sea lend credence to this idea. The surrounding landscape is rich with Iron Age and Norse-era place names and earthworks, hinting at the deep layers of habitation in this corner of Skye.
In physical terms, the tower is a compact cylindrical or slightly tapering stone structure, built in the dry-stone and mortared rubble tradition common to Skye. It is roofless and open to the sky, and the interior is small — more symbolic than functional in its current state. The stonework is weathered to a warm grey, patched with orange and silver lichen, and the walls are thick enough to suggest it was built to last. Standing beside it, you hear the wind almost constantly, and on clear days the sound of gulls and the distant movement of water in the bay rises up the hillside. The grass around the tower is closely cropped by sheep, and the ground can be damp and uneven underfoot.
The landscape surrounding Uig Tower is exceptional even by the high standards of Skye. The village of Uig sits in a natural amphitheatre formed by steep green hills that plunge down to the bay, creating a sheltered, almost secretive quality. The Fairy Glen — one of Skye's most otherworldly and beloved hidden landscapes, a miniature valley of conical grass-topped hillocks and strange geology — is located just a short distance to the east and is often visited in conjunction with the tower. The ferry terminal at Uig serves CalMac routes to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist, making this one of the key gateways to the Outer Hebrides.
Visiting Uig Tower is straightforward for those with reasonable fitness. The tower is reached by a short but moderately steep walk up from the village, and the path is informal rather than a maintained trail, so appropriate footwear is advisable. There is no admission charge and the site is open at all times. The best light for photography and the clearest views tend to come in the morning when the bay is illuminated from the east, or in the long golden hours of a summer evening when the water takes on deep amber tones. Uig is served by bus from Portree, the main town on Skye, and there is a car park in the village below. The A87 connects Uig to Portree and the Skye Bridge.
One of the more charming footnotes to the tower's surroundings is its proximity to the legend of the Fairy Glen, whose strange landscape has inspired centuries of local folklore about the little people of Skye. The hill on which Uig Tower stands partakes of this slightly liminal atmosphere — it is the kind of place where the practical and the mythological sit comfortably alongside each other, as they so often do in the Hebrides. The tower itself, perched on its green knoll above the ferry and the bay, serves as a quiet emblem of the layered human history of this remote but deeply inhabited corner of Scotland.