A lochside croft on the Isle of Skye
Vatten Farm
Situated in the northwest corner of Skye and only 8 miles from Skyeskyns, Alastair and Glenys Maclean are running their croft rearing cows, sheep and chickens.
With panoramic views of Macleod’s Tables and Loch Bracadale, tradition is at the heart of their croft which has been in Alastair’s family for over 150 years.
All livestock on the croft is reared to produce meat for their business, Isle of Skye Free Range, where they sell beef, lamb and chicken to the public and local restaurants on Skye. Cheviots and Scottish Blackface are the sheep breed of choice as they are hardy breeds for the wet and windy landscape of Skye. The first raw skins from the Farm to our tannery are Cheviots.
As guardians of the land, sustainability is embedded in Alastair and Glenys’s ethos for their crofting practices. All animals are grass fed on the inbye pastures and hills, only being supplemented with feed such as silage and draff (a by-product from nearby Talisker distillery) during the harsh winter months.
They are delighted to be supplying Skyeskyns with quality lamb skins ensuring very little waste from the production of their quality meat products.