Heribusta

Heribusta Scottish Gaelic: Hearabusta
Heribusta Location within the Isle of Skye
OS grid reference	NG 40137 71005
Council area	Highland
Lieutenancy area	Ross and Cromarty
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Kilmuir
Postcode district	IV51 9YX
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
List of places UK Scotland 57°39′08″N6°21′33″W / 57.652293°N 6.359247°W / 57.652293; -6.359247

Herbusta (Scottish Gaelic : Hearabusta), (also Heribusta), is a small crofting township on the Trotternish peninsula of the Isle of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland. ^[1] It is part of the civil parish of Kilmuir.
Heribusta lies along a small road that branches off eastward from the A855 at Kilmuir Hall and rejoins the A855 1 mile further north near the Skye Museum of Island Life. Along this road one also finds the Kilmuir cemetery with the grave of Flora Macdonald and the headstone of fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen. Heribusta is 5.8 kilometres (4 miles) north of Uig.

Herbusta has been farmed for many thousands of years, with remains of iron age enclosures still present. Herbusta received its name after the Norse colonisation of Skye in the 8th century. Where the name Herbusta is rooted in the old Norse. Hár (high), ‘Busta’ which comes from Old Norse for a farm and settlement, whence Herbusta may be ‘the high farmstead’. In the 1820’s Herbusta farm of 325 acres ( 223 arable) was converted into eight small farm holdings (crofts), for eight families

By 1878, the Inverness Shire records described Herbusta as: ‘A small district on which there are about a dozen croft houses, each one storey in height, thatched and in poor repair. Landlord Captain Fraser.’ Population of approx 27 Adults and 17 children (1881 census)

A hundred years later in the 1980's, there were six croft houses, mostly 2 storey, slated roofs and in good condition. Landlord, The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Population of approx 14 Adults and 13 children

By 2024 there were ten houses, with a number of them being single occupancy or as holiday homes. Population approx 10 Adults and 0 children

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  Heribusta
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  Skye Museum of Island Life
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  Kilmuir Cemetery
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  Minor road at Heribusta

References

1. The township is mentioned in the Gazetteer for Scotland (see Heribusta, here) and here on Ordnance Survey maps. The township is also mentioned on Google Maps and on road signs visible on Google Street view.