1750: Skye mapped by James Dorret.
1750: Potato brought to Skye.
1750: Flora MacDonald marries Allan MacDonald of Kingsburgh.
1752: Franklin proposes theory of electricity.
1755: Samuel Johnson compiles his dictionary.
1755: Amateur census by Rev Alexander Webster put Skye' population at 11,250.
1756: Birth of Mozart.
1757: Sextant invented.
1757: Murdoch Mackenzie, Admiralty Hydrographer, completes survey of West Coast waters (publishes late 1770s).
1759: Marine chronometer invented.
1760: Second attempt to drain Loch Chaluim Chille (St Columba's Loch) Trotternish.
1760: Rise of Skye kelp industry.
1763: Johnson meets Boswell.
1764: 200 tons of kelp harvested on Skye.
1764: Spinning Jenny invented.
1765: James Watt develops steam engine.
1765: The gentlemen of Skye offer three shillings for each fox killed. In Trotternish 112 are despatched.
1766: Hydrogen isolated.
1767: John MacKay born on Raasay, later became the most knowledgeable piper of his day.
1769: All tenants leave MacDonald's Skye estates.
1769: Water powered spinning machine developed.
1770: Continental wars prevent import of barilla, a source of alkali. Kelp industry flourishes.
1771: 370 Skye people leave for North Carolina.
1771: Work up-grading road from Fort Augustus to Glenelg for military purposes started..
1772: Nitrogen discovered.
1772: Skye toured by Thomas Pennant.
1773: Skye toured by Johnson and Boswell.
1774: Oxygen discovered.
1774: Flora MacDonald emigrates to North Carolina.

Courtesy of Geoff Holman