Skye website translated into Mandarin for Chinese visitor boom

A website about Skye has been translated into Mandarin in a bid to encourage people from China to visit the island.

The animated character Donald from Skye from a website that has been translated into Mandarin in a bid to encourage people from China to visit the Isle of Skye. Picture: Full Rotation/Donald from Skye/PA Wire

The site features the animated Donald from Skye character, who gives recommendations of what to see and do in the area.

It has now been translated into Mandarin to help the growing number of Chinese people visiting Skye and to encourage further visitors to the island.

Donald from Skye said: “I love telling people from all over the world about the beautiful Isle of Skye, so to be able to tell people in China what Skye has to offer is brilliant.

“My aim is to make Scotland accessible to everyone, wherever they’re from, and now anyone who visits www.donaldfromskye.com can see all the information on Skye in English or Mandarin.

“I hope this is the start of many translations of the website, allowing potential visitors to see the numerous sights and attractions they could see on Skye.

“Whether they need help booking accommodation, finding activities to do, details on where to park or where to eat, I’m the man to ask.

“I can’t wait to welcome new friends from China and all over the world to Scotland and to Skye.”

To celebrate his refreshed website, Donald from Skye took to social media to show his adventures around China as he searched for Shijin Cheng – the translator of the Donald from Skye website.

A series of photographs posted on Instagram and Twitter show Donald on his search, accompanied by Fergie the Tractor, which culminates in him finding the translator with a picture of him on the Great Wall of China saying: “I found Shijin Cheng.”

The website also features business listings and a live chat function for visitors looking for information on the island, as well as a film about Donald and Fergie.

Donald from Skye was created by local businessman Calum MacDonald and the animated character was inspired by a drawing created by his niece Sadie MacDonald.

Tourists have recently been urged to explore other areas of Skye to relieve pressure on the location’s top visitor hotspots, which have become swamped with vehicles.

The plea followed pictures being circulated of cars parked for miles around the Old Man of Storr because the car park for the rocky pinnacle was overwhelmed.

Skye was named on a global list of “destinations to avoid” by the American broadcaster CNN because it attracted so many visitors last year.s