Workshop with Portree Primary

Duilich, chan eil seo ri fhaighinn ach sa Bheurla an-dràsta.

Led by the Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre, a group of children from Portree primary – with Malcolm Mackenzie from Plockton and ATLAS – visited various sites around the town of Portree. The children had been visiting the archive centre over the course of several weeks, discussing Portree, its history and changes in the community.

Using archive images we compared shops, buildings and spotted some hidden gems such as the old stable entrance on Wentworth Street. Photographs from 1989 capturing children at play on the shore, making a seesaw from materials found, inspired a morning of exploring, chatting and making.

The journey continued to the Pier, where the group discussed ways to travel on the water and what could be found on the shoreline. Gathering shells, the group explored which shapes and sizes could float, and walked back to the slipway gathering unexpected treasures and items like pottery, sea glass and plastic. Malcolm showed the class a small wooden boat he’d made, encouraging the children to design and make their own. These were then launched into the sea off Beaumont Crescent, with a successful fleet!