ISLE OF SKYE TOURIST BOARD - VISITOR GUIDANCE No.118

* MOBILE PHONES ON SKYE * Visitors arriving on Skye are advised that mobile phones are permitted, although their principal functions may differ slightly from those advertised by the manufacturer. In most parts of the United Kingdom, a mobile telephone is used for making calls, sending messages and accessing the internet. On Skye, it is primarily used for checking whether you still have a signal. * SIGNAL AVAILABILITY Mobile reception varies considerably across the island. In Portree, Broadford and parts of Kyleakin, your telephone may operate almost normally. Do not be alarmed. This is generally temporary. Elsewhere, reception can depend upon: • your network provider; • your precise position; • the weather; • the direction in which you are facing; • whether a sheep is standing between you and the nearest mast; and • whether the island feels you genuinely need to make the call. A signal of one bar should not be interpreted as meaning that you have a signal. It means that your phone has detected the theoretical possibility of communication and wishes you the very best with it. * TWO BARS Two bars is regarded locally as excellent coverage. Visitors obtaining two bars should remain completely still. Do not celebrate, turn around, enter a building or attempt to show the signal to another person. Movement of more than three inches may cause the connection to return to Inverness. * THE SKYE SIGNAL POSITION If reception is poor, visitors may adopt the traditional Skye Signal Position. This involves standing beside a window with one arm raised, the phone held at approximately 47 degrees and the body leaning slightly towards Fort William. More experienced users may also place one foot on a chair. This position has no proven technical benefit, but it allows everyone else in the room to see that you are trying. * MAKING A CALL When making a telephone call, it is customary to begin with: “Can you hear me?” This should be followed by: “Hello?” “Hello?” “Are you still there?” The call will then end naturally. If the conversation is important, agree the essential details during the first four seconds. Do not begin with pleasantries, background information or an explanation of the weather. The island already knows about the weather. * TEXT MESSAGES Text messages are usually reliable, although delivery times may vary. A message sent on Tuesday near Staffin may arrive on Thursday in Dunvegan, having spent Wednesday considering its options near Sligachan. Visitors receiving several identical messages should not assume the sender is impatient. They have simply pressed “Retry” while walking around a car park. * MOBILE INTERNET Mobile internet is available in selected areas. Typical connection speeds range from “surprisingly good” to “the photograph may finish loading after the holiday.” Visitors wishing to upload 47 photographs of the Fairy Pools simultaneously are asked to wait until they return to their accommodation, preferably after everyone else has gone to bed. Video calls should be attempted only when necessary. The frozen image, delayed speech and occasional disappearance of your face are normal network conditions and should not be mistaken for a haunting. * WI-FI Many hotels, cafés and holiday cottages provide Wi-Fi. The password may be: • written in the guest information folder; • displayed beside the till; • underneath the router; • known only to the owner’s nephew; or • “highlandcow” followed by a number nobody can remember. Visitors are reminded that “Free Wi-Fi” confirms the existence of Wi-Fi. It does not make any specific promise regarding speed, range or willingness to cooperate. * SATELLITE NAVIGATION Before travelling into more remote areas, download your maps for offline use. Do this before leaving your accommodation—not when parked at a junction with three roads, no signs and a queue forming behind you. Satellite navigation systems occasionally direct visitors along unsuitable roads, farm tracks, private driveways and routes last used during the Jacobite rising. If your phone says the quickest route involves opening a gate, crossing a field or driving directly through a loch, some independent judgement may be required. Do not follow the blue line merely because it appears confident. * PHOTOGRAPHY Mobile phones are excellent for taking photographs of Skye. Visitors should, however, remain aware of their surroundings while attempting to photograph: • Highland cattle; • cliffs; • waterfalls; • passing traffic; • other people’s houses; and • themselves standing backwards at the edge of something substantial. Highland cattle are not photography props. They are large animals with horns and their own arrangements for the day. The Tourist Board recommends using the zoom function rather than approaching until the animal fills the screen naturally. * BATTERY MANAGEMENT Cold weather, navigation apps, photography and repeated searches for a signal can drain a battery quickly. Visitors travelling into remote areas should carry a charged power bank. Murdo recommends keeping the phone switched off entirely until an emergency occurs. This preserves the battery exceptionally well, although it has affected his response time to messages since 2018. * SOCIAL MEDIA Visitors are welcome to share photographs of Skye online. Please be aware that captions such as “hidden gem,” “secret spot” and “nobody knows about this place” may be viewed with suspicion when attached to a location currently occupied by three coaches, fourteen campervans and a man selling coffee from a horsebox. Tagging the precise location of fragile or unsafe places is discouraged. Not every path needs to become a queue. * EMERGENCIES In a genuine emergency, call 999 or 112. A phone may sometimes connect an emergency call through another available network even when your own provider has no normal service, but this still requires some network coverage. Visitors heading into remote country should not rely solely on a mobile phone. Tell somebody where you are going, check the weather, carry suitable clothing and take a paper map where appropriate. Some modern phones also provide emergency satellite features. These should be configured and understood before setting out, rather than investigated for the first time while halfway down a wet hillside. A flat battery remains incompatible with all networks, including satellite ones. * LOCAL ETIQUETTE If you discover a location with unusually strong reception, it is acceptable to share this information with others. Traditional phrases include: “There’s two bars beside the green bin.” “Try standing near the cattle grid.” “It worked for me yesterday.” Do not remain in the position indefinitely. Other residents may be waiting to download an email attachment. * FINAL GUIDANCE Mobile coverage on Skye is improving, although the landscape remains heavily involved in the decision. Download what you need before travelling, carry some battery power and enjoy the rare opportunity to be temporarily unavailable. If your phone loses its signal completely, please remain calm. You have not disappeared. You are merely on Skye. - ISLE OF SKYE TOURIST BOARD "Skye: Come for the scenery. Stay because Google Maps has stopped working."