KYLE OF LOCHALSH

Many moons ago we set off on a driving tour around Scotland, and while we were there we decided to spend a short time on Skye. In those days there was no choice but to make the short crossing by ferry. All that has changed now, however, since the construction of a bridge connecting Kyle Of Lochalsh to the village of Kyleakin on Skye. The bridge, completed in 1995, used to charge a toll, which was a bone of contention among its users, but this has now been scrapped. It is still possible to reach Skye by ferry from the port of Mallaig a bit further south. Kyle's past as a ferry port began in 1819 with the arrival of the road from Inverness, when Kyle became the main departure point for Skye. When the railway arrived in 1897 a ferry service to Stornoway started up, although this ended in 1973, when the service moved to Ullapool. Now that the bridge has replaced the ferries, a lot of people whizz straight through without stopping, which is a shame because it is an attractive little harbour town with wonderful views across to Skye, while among the activities on offer are glass-bottom boat trips.

Webcam view of the bridge.

Map of the area.

Jetty, Kyle of Lochalsh - geograph.org.uk - 1706767. Photo by JThomas, via Wikimedia Commons.