John Farquharson, a student of Robert Haldane's came to Skye in 1805. He had already been used to start revival in Breadalbane (see Breadalbane Revivals). Farquharson was used by the Lord powerfully in Skye; not to bring revival, but to lead a blind Catechist, Donald Munro from Portee, to the Lord.
One day the minister of Kilmuir Parish, Donald Martin, was in Uig and heard Farquharson preaching to a large crowd in the open air. He invited him to stay in the Manse, where Farquharson appears to have remained for the rest of his stay on the island. Martin became 'born again' at this time, and it is likely that this was as a result of the ministrations of his guest.
Donald Munro was brought to the area by Martin, and he began prayer meetings in the area. These were powerful, eventually leading to revival. Martin sadly left Skye in 1808, being replaced a year later by Donald Ross. In 1810 Donald Munro was appointed Catechist for Kilmuir by the Scottish Society for the Propogation of Christian Knowledge. Ross did not like Munro's evangelical teaching, and Munro did not like Ross's, so he refused to go to his church. The situation between them became so bad that after Ross complained to the Society, Munro was sacked in 1812.
Munro continued to hold his meetings and revival began. There would be three meetings each Sunday, held in different places. He would also hold a midweek meeting in his home, and he would preach in different parts of the island. Munro was a great favourite of the people, and revival went wherever he did.
The revival had a lot of opposition from the clergy; the people would prefer to go to the revival rather than their church.
For a lot more see ‘The Skye Revivals,’ by Steve Taylor, published by New Wine Press, p27-34.
The church was built in 1798-9. The previous church was situated behind the Manse.