Eilean Ban Trust

It was in October 1998 when Eilean Ban was first leased to the communities of Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh. It was due to the combined efforts of The Born Free Foundation and the vision and energies of the local communities that this was achieved. The efforts of John Macrae ,or Johnny Ach as he was affectionately called, are legendary  and he is still remembered today on a sundial in his memory on the island and a photo with his collies in the wildlife hide.

An independent report at the time confirmed that the island was a wildlife sanctuary. It was also realised  that refurbishing the lighthouse cottages as they were when author Gavin Maxwell lived there until his untimely death in 1969 could prove of interest to the public. The Stevenson lighthouse, too, was deemed to be of  historical interest and was leased from The Lighthouse Board.

The Eilean Ban Trust was set up to operate on a non-profit making basis to manage the island’s interests. A great deal of work was done initially by many interested parties to refurbish the cottage and to create pathways etc. 

An interpretative centre was opened in Kyleakin , namely The Bright Water Centre at The Pier, which still operates today as a trading company for the Trust. This year it has been given an overhaul and has a wonderful display reflecting the wildlife of the island itself and of Skye and Lochalsh. Photographs of birds, wild flowers, reptiles, mammals, butterflies, etc. taken locally are also on display. There is an interesting collection of rocks from the area with a photograph and diagram of the geology .

A corner of the exhibition area is dedicated to the Stevenson lighthouse - one of the major attractions of Eilean Ban. The lighthouse was built by David and Thomas Stevenson. and the walkway to the lighthouse is one of only two remaining  Stevenson  iron walkways of its type in Scotland.

The author, Gavin Maxwell, continues to be a big attraction and a new edition of “Ring of Bright Water” is now on sale.

One of the most exciting additions to the Centre is a live webcam link from the otter haven at Kylerhea courtesy of the Forestry Commission. We are hoping this will help to attract people to the Centre.

The Centre includes a small shop which sells articles made by local people .There are also some interesting local fossils on sale, International Otter Survival Fund  merchandise, greetings cards featuring wildlife, postcards - some unique to the Centre, and books written by Gavin Maxwell or about him. There are also books related to wildlife and  tourism. The Centre also acts as an outlet for Laurence Broderick’s sculptures of otters and an example of his work can be seen opposite the entrance.

The Bright Water Centre is currently open from Mondays to Fridays from 10am to 4pm. During the summer we hope to open on Saturdays. Here you can book tours to Eilean Ban to visit the lighthouse - right to the top, Gavin Maxwell’s long room and the wildlife hide. Also at the Centre you can book our unique holiday cottage, once home of the lighthouse keepers. During the summer, there is a nature trail for children to follow. We also welcome visits from schools. It is also planned to offer short bus tours to include the island tour as well as points of interest in Kyle and Kyleakin. A day tour to Sandaig where Maxwell had a home and where he wrote his books on his otters will also be available soon.

The island tour includes the small garden planted by Lochalsh WRI on their 21st anniversary and a carved stone in memory of Teko, Maxwell’s last otter, which lived and died here. It also tells the history of the island, Maxwell’s plans for it and point out the wonderful views. Our next call is to the lighthouse keepers’ cottages and a visit to Maxwell’s long room furnished as it was in his day and including many of his artefacts. You will also learn something about this enigmatic character.

The tour is  completed with a walk to the wildlife hide, a unique architect designed hide with a heather-thatched roof. From here we can look over to some skerries to see seals sometimes basking in the sun or bobbing around in the water. Sometimes one of our resident otters can be seen in the waters below. A heronry can be seen with some of its residents perched on rocks. Many different species of birds can be spotted from here especially shags with their wings stretched to dry.

On your tour of the island you may see different species of birds among the trees and bushes ,beautiful butterflies and many wild flowers. Keep your eyes peeled as otters can be seen at any time of day .We have an otter pool for them built by volunteers and funded by SNH. A pine marten has been spotted on the island again this year, probably in search of voles which are plentiful. A mink is sometimes seen on the rocks near the lighthouse.