Apothecary's Tower and the Lump

About

The small octagonal tower on top of the Lump, the rocky knoll above the south side of the harbour that is called Am Meall in Gaelic and Fancy Hill by some. A Geograph contributor's caption from February 2025 says Dr Alexander MacLeod, An Dotair Bàn, Lord MacDonald's chamberlain, laid out the hill as a pleasure garden in 1829 and built the tower in 1835, and that it told sailing ships of the medical services in town. The Folly Flâneuse, who has written up its history, says a steel staircase now gives access to the battlements. From the top you look straight down on the harbour and the painted houses. The Skye Highland Games are held on the Lump each August.

Highlights

• ✓Steel stair to the battlements
• ✓View over the harbour and the painted houses
• ✓Home of the Skye Highland Games

Tips

• →The Lump is a short climb from Bank Street or the top of Quay Brae.
• →On Games day in early August the Lump is the arena; check the organisers' site for access.

Best Season