We stopped in to browse the shop and got a tour from David, a friendly local man who works here…read more He gave us an informed overview of each step in the tanning process, showing us the equipment and the skins and various states of production. I didn't realize it was one of only two tanneries left in the United Kingdom. We are so glad we stopped and found such a friendly local artisan to learn about and purchase from.

First of all, before even arriving at the tannery, the sceneries are breathtaking. Pity the roads…read moreare not the best, but it will take you to this nice shop. We parked at the parking space and as soon as we got out of the car, we were greeted by two people. They showed us the the process and the history of the shop. It was interesting. The showroom upstairs features merchandise of good quality. I settled for a pet mat for my dog, which I got for a nice bargain price. Wish i could take more things on the plane with me, but I'm pleased worth my purchase. I'm glad we decided to visit the shop. If I ever visit Skye again, i will definitely come back to this nice shop :)

Shopping is good, cafe food is mediocre at best. Salad had spoiled vegetables that were inedible…read more Baked potato was barely warm with shredded cheese that couldn't melt because potato was not hot enough. Would not eat here again.

This is one of the pit stops along the route back to Edinburgh after Rabbie's Loch Ness tours. It's…read morelocated in a really cute area (yes, there's a bridge) and the shop is quite expansive. In fact, it's the only place I bothered to buy souvenirs from while in Scotland! It's a true one-stop shop. There's even an express cafe. Bathrooms are across the way. I'm happy with my magnets and mythical book.

It was such a treat to find this shop right by the pier side as we were waiting for the ferry to…read moretake us back to the mainland. The sign outside lists 'clothing, knitwear, accessories, gifts, jewellery, and things to make you smile...' And they're right! Everyone was coming out of the shop smiling as it is a shop full of lovely things. The clothes are perhaps a little on the 'Bohemian' side for my personal tastes, but they do have some absolutely beautiful items such as hand knits - jumpers, hats, scarves and so on, as well as other hand crafted items. I got a gorgeous pair of - well I don't actually know what they're called - hand-warmers perhaps? They're like mittens but cover your wrists and forearms too. They are beautifully hand knitted in soft, muted colours, but best of all, they are fleece-lined! I've wanted a pair of hand-warmers for ages, but wool makes me itch, Not so with these beautiful fleece-lined ones. They are perfect for Autumn, keeping my fingers snug and cosy, and I definitely left the shop smiling.

Famous for its mountainous and breathtaking scenery, The Isle of Skye situated off the West coast…read moreof Mainland Scotland - is the largest and best known of the Inner Hebrides. Renowned for its natural beauty and therefore a magnate for climbers, artists and photographers, it is perhaps not the first place one would think of to visit for a glorious shopping experience. Seek and ye shall find. The island looks tiny on the map but you'll need your entire holiday and more to discover even a small proportion of some of the area's hidden gems. I'd like to share one such shiny jewel with you. Ragamuffin is situated on the pier in Armadale, Sleat (pronounced 'slate') on the south western peninsula of the island. The little shop (strangely like a sheik's tent, it is actually bigger inside than it appears outside) sits overlooking the sea (Sound of Sleat) over to Mallaig. On entering the shop my first impression was one of a glorious visual feast of colour and textures. Closer inspection revealed clothes in fabrics of softest wool, silk, tweed, velvet, lace, denim and cotton in a wide range of styles from quirky and funky to casual chic. Rails and shelves held skirts of silk, velvet tunics, trousers, dresses, hats, scarves, gloves, wristlets, necklaces of silver and glittery beads, bangles and belts, soft toys so cuddly they cry out for adoption . the list is huge. Here is possibly the best collection of designer knitwear and accessories under one roof. The designs are from all over the world (Oska, Clemente, Respond, Flax, Out of Exile) and are unique and beautiful. Most are in multi sizes so the larger lady is well catered for here. But these clever clothes, functional and fun, will appeal to all shapes and sizes. I am petite and I couldn't resist the purchase of an Out of Exile outfit of the softest green velvet skirt, with matching fitted tunic and waisted jacket. . The fabulous displays are so cleverly put together, the colours and fabrics so tempting and unusual, that when you see an 'outfit' on display you realise the possibilities immediately. My own taste tends towards the tonal in colour. I like my outfits to 'match'. But once I saw how a simple outfit could be enhanced by the casual touch of a glorious Salt scarf I was reborn . The day I visited was fairly quiet in mid-winter. The atmosphere in the shop was welcoming. All the staff were warm, friendly and knowledgeable about the stock. If a customer is unsure about an outfit, help is at hand where you can be advised of the possibilities of your chosen outfit. If there is a down side to the experience it is that there isn't a formal changing room. I have never liked communal changing rooms and prefer to take my business elsewhere rather than submit myself to the indignities of such an experience. At Ragamuffin, there isn't so much a communal changing room as a sort of party atmosphere in a friend's house. The shop has a spiral staircase at its centre and if you want a little privacy to try on your garments, you take yourself off upstairs where you share space with the rest of the stock (which is probably clever retailing when you consider you will see even more 'stuff' and are able to try that on as well). Obviously, this changing area is not accessible to someone who finds it hard or impossible to negotiate stairs. Perhaps the management should re-think this and offer an alternative changing area. My next item is a plus and a minus. On the plus side, I earlier mentioned the welcoming atmosphere. Indeed, the staff fairly buzz with bonhomie and I was offered a cup of coffee and a biscuit before I was halfway in the shop. As it was a chilly day, the offer was welcome. However, on the minus side, if you have a weak bladder forego the coffee because the shop doesn't have toilet facilities. One customer had to pop over to the Caledonian Macbrayne ferry offices not far from the shop. Perhaps the staff would have let her use their private toilet but as there was a customer already upstairs trying on a garment . you get the picture. The garments sold are mainly for women but there is a happy little section in a far corner where men have discovered jumpers by Scott Officer and Fishermen of Ireland and soft fleecy shirts. There are no children's clothes save for quirky jester slippers but the huge selection of gorgeous Jellycat soft toys should keep little ones amused whilst mum shops. I should know, I bought two Jellycat soft toys and I don't even like soft toys much. How do you get to Sleat? Just two hours from Inverness Airport, the Isle of Skye can be reached by car. You can go via Fort William to Mallaig and from Mallaig get the ferry over to Armadale. Once you leave the ferry look immediately to your left and there's Ragamuffin. Head straight for it, don't stop till you get there! The ferry operates all year round but has reduced sailings in winter and only sails on Sunday in high summer. You can also take the

Over the Rainbow in Portree, Isle of Skye, is a most unusual shop and well worth a visit…read more They sell beautifully designed scarves, jackets and sweaters in cashmere, wool and silk made by some wonderful designers. But they don't stop there, you'll also find hand-made Hebridean furniture, cushions, throws, velvet bags, tin toys, ornaments, jewllery and unusual postcards. The clothing is pricey but beautifully made and unique. Over the Rainbow is open 6 days a week, Monday to Friday. They open at 9am and close around 5pm. In the summer, they are open till early evening/dusk. The Isle of Skye has some unusual shops and this is one not to be missed.

During a recent trip to Scotland, I fell in love with the Isle of Skye. I wanted something to…read moreremember my time there and was lucky enough to discover this beautiful shop that features locally made jewelry. There is a lot to choose from at all different price points. Well worth it to stop by and take a look.

This business should be avoided at all cost! The owner is rude and has no customer service skills…read more I was ready to purchase before I was told you cannot touch anything. How can I spend 300-400 GBP without touching the blanket? Are her products that undesirable that you cannot touch because she fears you will not buy? Should I also mention, she is not local??? The artisans she claims to represent should demand their products back!

Dear Leslie Eileen Foale (owner and proprietor),…read more My wife and I visited your shop today while we were shopping in Portree. We were in the market for some Scottish attire made by Scottish artisans out of Scottish wool. When we began traveling years ago, we decided that it would be meaningful to us to have something made by the people in that country from materials in that country. We thought we might find something to meet this criteria when we saw some clothing in your window display. The only thing that made us doubt whether we should come in the shop was the sign out front that read, "Textile Gallery." Upon entering you greeted us curtly as if we were interrupting you (although there was nobody else in the shop) and told us that if we wanted to see the gallery, my wife would have to leave her cup of coffee on your desk. I asked, "We aren't here to see a gallery, we're here to purchase some Scottish attire for my wife." Despite having a professional practice in art for 25 years, a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) and teaching art as a professor at a university in California, I clearly didn't understand that you considered your shop the art gallery. You then began to give my wife and I a lecture even though I begged your pardon and communicated to you that there had been a misunderstanding on my part regarding the term "gallery." You told us both, that, "if we just wanted to look at 'pictures' there was a gallery down the street." In my experience with art and artists, a true patron dedicated to the arts would never call an other artists' work "pictures." Calling an art gallery a place to view pictures is not only demeaning to artists but to your neighbors down the street who own the gallery. However, I understand the lack of knowledge as you've recently left a career in finance and banking and anointed yourself an artist in 2017. Your comments about art sound like something a banker would have said but would have never been uttered by a true artist. In a banker's mind, becoming an artist is something procedural that can be achieved by learning the formula. As a working artist myself, our humility comes from our fallibility. And our imperfection is the art. I held my wife's coffee and stood by the door while she perused the clothing. After a couple of minutes you turned to me and told me I should set the coffee on your desk if I'd like to look. My response to you was that I preferred to stand by the door at this point. I felt unwelcome in your shop and no longer felt the desire to engage any more than I had to. As my wife continued to look, you directed her toward your own cashmere designs. This was after we'd repeatedly stated that we were looking for Scottish craftmanship, Scottish artisans and Scottish wool. You Leslie, are not Scottish. You are an American who has devoted her life to banking and finance (per LinkedIn). In an interview published online on the site Textile Scotland, you were asked your favorite thing about your job. You responded, "A favourite aspect of my new career is creating happy moments for others. You see that sparkle in the customer's eye or hear that wee giggle they can't manage to contain because the textile they just saw makes them feel so happy." Out of the 4 reviews on TripAdvisor, 2 of them (or 50%) used terms like "berated," "bizarre," "rude," "hostile," and "admonishing." Out of the 5 reviews on Google, 2 of them (or 40%) used terms like "lecture," didn't feel welcome," "assistance in excess." Out of the 3 reviews on Yelp, 2 of them (or 66%) used terms like "pretentious," "obnoxious," "non-welcoming," "no customer service," "our only negative shopping experience in Scotland," "put out by customers," and "abrasive." With your education in finance and business, you are aware these numbers are not ideal and possibly speak to a problem in your public-facing interactions. In addition, your responses to these critiques was as robotic as an out-of-office email. They lack authenticity and humility. "Thank you for your feedback. We will keep that in mind going forward." Leslie, based on our interaction today, it doesn't seem like you kept in mind any of what previous reviewers shared with you. If your goal is to create "happy moments for others," listening to feedback from your clients is crucial. After I finish my review, you will have created awful moments for a majority of reviewers. The sparkle with which we enter your lovely shop is extinguished by your antagonistic attitude. You are standing in your own way. Your merchandise would literally sell itself but clients will often reject this when they are offended, demeaned and lectured. Nobody is giggling, Leslie. In our first trip to Scotland we found the Scotts to be warm, welcoming, humble, and kind people. I don't know how you could live among such lovely humans and not have some of their characteristics wear off on you. Hopefully, there is still time.