The Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile is back – and it’s coming to Clan Donald Skye in Sleat. The Visitor Centre is set to host its first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 25th March, and needs local people to come together and show their support by entering now at www.sportrelief.com. As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives – so it’s time to dust off those trainers and enter right now. It should be a great day for all the family with food, live music etc and a brilliant course – participants can choose either a 6 mile, a 3 mile or a 1 mile run through the historic gardens and around the estate.

Nine sites on the Isle of Skye have been accredited with Dark Sky status, offering fantastic opportunities to view the wonders of the universe from sites with some of the least light pollution in Scotland. Destination Skye and Lochalsh presents Dark Skye Discovery on 9th March at 7.30 pm at Broadford Hotel, Broadford to coincide with Scottish Tourism Week. Prof. John C Brown - Astronomer Royal for Scotland - will lead the observations meeting and explain what to see on site, at the FCS car park Camas na Sgianadin, if the weather is clear, or offer an “Any Questions for the Astronomer Royal” session at the Broadford Hotel if it is raining. Please come prepared with suitable warm clothing and sensible footwear, binoculars/telescope, and a red filtered torch (if possible). The cost of the evening is £8 for one person, £15 for a couple and £20 for a family. Tickets are available prior to the event from Margaret on 01599 577219 or soluismuthuath@btopenworld.com Numbers will be limited to 50.

Celtic Connections – Glasgow's internationally renowned folk, roots and world music festival – will stage a first-of-its-kind, two-day music festival on the Isle of Skye as a finale to the Year of Scotland’s Islands. Taking place on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th March 2012 at the Broadford Airfield, the Big Top will feature a line-up of traditional music, show-stopping arts experiences and action-packed workshops on a local and international scale, showcasing local talent alongside top international artists. Celtic Connections Big Top will showcase the sounds of Nashville, Tennessee, with Grammy Award winner Rosanne Cash, and The Civil Wars. Rosanne, daughter of Johnny Cash, will deliver a selection of her biggest hits, including some of her 11 number one singles from her 30-year career. The Civil Wars – a folk-country-Americana duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White – will be performing songs from their Grammy nominated debut album Barton Hollow which debuted at number one in the Billboard Digital Albums chart.

Skye’s successful contemporary landscape artist Diana MacKie has recently had a number of limited edition greeting cards commissioned by Visit Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage especially for The Scottish Daily Mail, and they are free to each reader. To take advantage of this unique offer all you have to do is collect all four of the tokens printed in the Scottish Daily Mail from Monday 28th November to Thursday 1st December. Get your free greetings cards today.

Are you an aspiring author or poet? Are you writing a script for a play, TV show or film? Do you enjoy writing in your spare time? You still have an opportunity to submit your writing to the competition. Closing date is 24 November. Just to remind you: The Baker Prize is a new annual writing competition organised by The Skye Literary Salon and The Isle of Skye Baking Company. This competition is open to anyone who can string a sentence together in either Gaelic or English. The theme for 2011’s competition is the Scottish Islands. For an entry form or further details: please contact Richard Neath at “Hentilagged”, 1 Kildonan, Isle of Skye, IV51 9PU or email richard.neath@hotmail.co.uk.

Saturday the 24th September will see the first registered Highland Dance competition take place in Kyleakin for 12 years. The competition hosted by Dannsairean An Eilean Sgitheanaich has over 70 entrants from accross the Highlands and Islands. The event is open to the public and refreshments will be available.

VisitScotland has just launched its first ever interactive diary designed to promote some of Scotland’s best, well known and more surprising active pursuits. The travel diary is central to VisitScotland’s ‘Grab a Glen’ campaign as part of the year of Active Scotland. Travellers will be encouraged to ‘Grab a Glen’ through getting out and about across Scotland and experience some of the countless glens and unique walking adventures that the country has to offer. To see Robin’s Grab a Glen travel diary, visit www.visitscotland.com/grabaglen

Cast members of The Inbetweeners comedy TV series and its new spin-off film have described Skye as a second home for the show. Simon Bird and Joe Thomas joined producer Chris Young, who lives on the island, for screenings of the movie at the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mor Ostaig. The film has recorded the biggest opening for a UK-produced comedy. Thomas said: "Skye is like a second home for the show because of our producer living here." He added: "We have been here a few times now. It is really nice to come back and we are always very relaxed and happy here." Listen to John MacDiarmids interview with Simon Bird and Joe Thomas here www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-14706954

Industrial Revolutions sees Danny take his incredible bike skills into an industrial train yard and some derelict buildings. Filmed in the beautiful Scottish countryside Danny Macaskill's latest film was directed by Stu Thomson (Cut Media/MTBcut) for Channel 4's documentary Concrete Circus. Watch the video here at www.pinkbike.com/news/Danny-Macaskill-Industrial-Revolutions-2011.html

Sheila Dillon form the BBC 4's Food Programme talks to Skye Business owners Carole Inglis, John Kelly and Peter MacAskill about Scotland's first ever national food policy, introduced by the SNP. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0134zx8

Skye's very own Danny MacAskill is set to appear on Channel 4 on Monday 15th August at 9pm, celebrating Britains vibrant urban culture. Together these artists have produced stunning films that have captured the attention and the imagination of tens of millions of viewers. Featuring urban trial rider phenomenon Danny McAskill, skateboarding virtuoso Kilian Martin, Storm Freerun's Blue joins with extraordinary 19 year old Parkouriste Phil Doyle (who are joined for an impressive cameo by the incredible Parkour/Skater Mathieu Ledoux), and BMX flatlander Keelan Phillips. Check out the trailer here: www.channel4.com/programmes/concrete-circus/articles/watch-the-trailer

This excitig new event opens o n Thursday 28th July with a talk from Donald MacCormick, ‘Skye Books’, Scotland's leading Antiquarian Book expert, who will discuss some of the rare books in his collection and also those he bequeathed to Sabhal mor Ostaig. 10 antiquarian booksellers will attend the festival and the day closes with a musical performance from the Mendelssohn International Music Festival. Events in the following two days of the festival include poetry readings by Maoileas Caimbeul, and Rody Gorman, a talk to launch The Skye Trail, a new book by Cameron McNeish and Richard Else, a talk by Roger Hutchinson about his book 'Calumns Road', closing with music by the Alisdair McCulloch Trio. Full of exciting events throughout the three day festival, musicians will be performing at various times. More information is available in our Whats On and Events Diary, and we look forward to this Festival becoming an annual event on Skyes vibrant culutural calendar.

The Camanachd Association and Skye Camanachd are delighted to confirm the 2011 Balliemore Cup Final, between Bute and Caberfeidh, will be played on Saturday 23rd July at Pairc nan Laoch in Portree on the Isle of Skye as part of this year’s national celebration of Scotland’s Islands. Ross Cowie, Chairman of Skye Camanachd, said, “We are delighted to be hosting the 2011 Balliemore Cup Final and everybody at the Club is working hard to ensure the pitch is in tip-top condition. Shinty is hugely popular in Skye and we look forward to welcoming the players and supporters of Bute and Caberfeidh, plus residents and visitors from across the island, to Pairc nan Laoch for great day of top-class shinty action”. Archie Robertson, President of The Camanachd Association, said, “Pairc nan Laoch is an excellent venue for the Cup Final and I’m sure Skye Camanachd will be very welcoming hosts. For more than a century shinty has played an important part in the life of many people living on Skye and we are very pleased the team at Scotland’s Islands have supported us in taking the event to Skye in 2011”. Tickets for the 2011 Balliemore Cup Final in Skye can be bought at the ground on the day from 1pm. Throw-up is at 2.30pm.

Climbers have been warned to avoid a climbing route on Skye where a woman was killed and three people were injured in a rockfall in May. Skye Mountain Rescue Team said there was the risk of further rockfalls at the Cioch Direct in the Cuillin hills. The warning has been highlighted by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. Efforts are to be made to clear large blocks from the popular route.

The shortlisted nominations for the South East, South West, East Coast, North West, Scotland, North East, Wales and Northern Ireland have been compiled by a panel of experts, all well versed in what makes a British seaside resort standout. Voting will be taking place between 30th May and 30th June. The winner will be announced on Monday 4th July. Vote for Plockton here www.cadburyicecreamland.com/greatbritishbeachawardvote

Follow the link below to watch Michael cook his delicious mussel brose on the beach less than 100 metres from the Three Chimneys kitchen. You cant get fresher than that, and so simple you can try it yourself at home! www.youtube.com/watch

Michael Smith of The Three Chimneys Restaurant competes alongside the nation's top chefs for the chance to cook a four-course banquet for a high-profile figure. Watch at 6.30pm every night this week, or on BBC i player. The competition culminates in the chefs participation in The finale: 'The People's Banquet part of the Eden Projects BIG lunch'. Find out more here www.thebiglunch.com/great-british-menu/.

A 12th century Norse shipyard has been discovered on the Isle of Skye, complete with boat timbers from the 1100s and a stone-built quay. Aerial investigations revealed a small canal leading to the sea from the loch on Skye's Rubh an Dunain peninsula, at which point a marine archaeologist was brought in to explore further. Dave Cowley from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland said the shipyard could have supported "quite an extensive martime network".

At the Museum of the Isles, at Clan Donald Skye, visitors will have the opportunity to hear about this year’s fascinating new exhibition - A History of Skye in 50 Objects. This special exhibition is a collaborative project with other museums and heritage providers on Skye. Inspired by the recent British Museum/BBC collaboration, A History of the World in 100 Objects, it aims to tell the history of the island in 50 objects, from prehistory to the present. Visit this link for more. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13297459

He said: "I have done a lot of fun things like stunt work on a Hollywood movie, and it's fun, but for me that's not really what I want to do. "Working back home in Scotland means a lot more to me and I don't think I'll ever do anything as much fun as my work here. "Even if I go on a round the world journey filming, this is the best thing I'll ever do. "To be able to film in the places where I grew up, learned my tricks, where all my friends are from, was incredible. "But it also put a lot of pressure on me - I was trying to do riding that was good enough to match how I felt about Skye, and that was good enough to match the scenery of Scotland." Read the whole article here www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/editors-choice/2011/02/20/stunt-bike-superstar-s-still-waiting-for-big-pay-day-86908-22937280/ and an online interview here sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story