Uig Pottery is on the Isle of Skye, nearby the Trotternish Peninsula. You travel to the beautiful village of Uig by ferry and you will find the pottery next to the pier car park.
The Uig Pottery was established by Alan Freestone in 1992 and continues to run as a family business. The pottery is made with their own clay recipe. The decorations are inspired by the surrounding sea and landscape.
Uig Bay is situated at the northern tip of Skye surrounded by picturesque hills. Skye derives its name from the Norse language with skye meaning clouded isle or cloud. The Gaelic name for Skye is Eilean a Cheo, meaning the Isle of Mist.
The pottery workshops are laid out in an open plan format so that you can see the potters at work, throwing pots on a traditional potter’s wheel or on semi-automatic machines.
The pottery makes quaichs. Quaich is a Gaelic word meaning drinking bowl or cup. It is a small, flat cup standing on a rim with two or more ears jutting out horizontally from the lip. It is wide and rather shallow.
Seventeenth century goldsmiths turned their attention to the quaich. Quaichs were soon being made almost entirely of silver, some were engraved with patterns, decorations and inscriptions.
As well as a visit to the pottery, you may enjoy the village bakery, pub, hotel bar and restaurant. Uig is the gateway to the Outer Isles, and the port is only a mile down the road. You can take day trips to the Isles of Harris, Lewis and North Uist. A variety of outdoor activities are available, such as horse riding and wildlife watching.
The wildlife of the Skye includes golden eagles, sea eagles, sea birds and waterfowl, including the rare corncrake. You may be able to watch pilot whales, seals and dolphins. There are many types of flowering plants and ferns to see, and a lovely woodland walk.
