Dame Ellen gets freedom of Skye

Ellen MacArthur when she was made a dame

Round-the-world solo yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur has been made a Freeman of Skye and Lochalsh.

Her great, great grandfather was brought up at Luib on the Isle of Skye, but left in the 1880s to move to Derbyshire.

During a ceremony in Portree, she said the island was a place "very close" to her heart.

Local councillor Drew Millar described Dame Ellen as an inspirational personality.

I love Skye for its beauty and unique sense of freedom, but it's the people that make it such a special place Dame Ellen MacArthur

In 2001 she became the youngest person and fastest woman to sail around the world alone.

Four years later she smashed Francis Joyon's solo round-the-world record.

Dame Ellen said: "I was touched and felt incredibly privileged to have been honoured by the people of Skye and Lochalsh.

"Skye is a place very close to my heart and is in fact the only real link with my family and the sea, as my ancestors were fishermen from Luib.

"I love Skye for its beauty and unique sense of freedom, but it's the people that make it such a special place."

She spoke with pupils from Portree High School about her experiences, before she was presented with a parchment bestowing upon her the honour of Freeman of Skye and Lochalsh.