New Isle of Skye flag celebrates Celtic and Viking heritage

The Isle of Skye (Scottish Gaelic: An t-Eilean Sgitheanach), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides (Scottish Gaelic: Na h-Eileanan a-staigh) of Scotland. Now the Island has its own flag. It was designed by a nine-year-old boy, Calum Alasdair Munro and was chosen by a public vote organised by the West Highland Free Press newspaper. Calum's winning design has now been formally approved by Scotland's heraldic authority, the Court of the Lord Lyon.

Calum told the West Highland Free Press:

“First, I thought of the Birlinn (Wooden boat used in the Hebrides in the middle ages) and I was thinking about the MacLeod’s and MacDonald’s and the MacKinnon’s – the first clans on Skye.” 

“I thought about the Celtic heritage, the Viking heritage, and the history of Flora MacDonald. In my flag, in the Birlinn there are five oars representing Trotternish, Waternish, Duirinish, Minginish, and Sleat. I thought about yellow for the MacLeod’s and blue for the MacDonald’s or the MacKinnon’s.”

Image: Isle of Skye flag.