Two Skye firms specialising in family trees are branching out on to the world wide web.

Skye Roots and Skye Kin, with advice and financial backing from Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise (SALE), have developed electronic genealogical information systems and websites which will bring their services to a global audience.

Norma MacLeod established SkyeRoots to provide a genealogy and local history research service covering Skye and Raasay.

She has spent the last five years researching and compiling genealogy and historic data, culminating in the publication of a book in 2002 called 'Raasay: the Island and its People'.

She decided to create a marketing website to advertise and promote the genealogy and research services which Skye Roots provides, and she now has the system in place.

SALE provided £1,260 towards the £4,500 costs, with an additional £990 coming from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

SkyeRoots has a close working relationship with Skye Kin, which is operated by Marjorie MacInnes, who has provided a genealogy and local history research service covering the north western parishes of Duirinish and Bracadale for seven years.

In 2001 she developed a basic website with the vast collection of information she has collated, and this has shown a steady increase in hits.

She has now been able to install the same software as SkyeRoots thanks to financial backing from SALE to the sum of £840 and also £660 from ERDF.

Norma said: "Many descendants from Skye live abroad in places such as Australia, New Zealand and North America.

"So many people now have the internet and e-mail and thanks to the assistance of SALE we are able to provide our services to them."

Calum MacPherson, SALE's head of development, said: "The importance of e-business to an area like ours is very significant considering the distance our businesses are from the main population centres.

"We are pleased to have helped both businesses with the advice and financial backing to broaden their client base worldwide. We wish them every success for the future."