Kyle of Lochalsh Travel Guide: Gateway to the Isle of Skye

Kyle of Lochalsh sits at the very edge of the Scottish mainland, in the Lochalsh district of the Highlands, where the narrow strait of Loch Alsh separates Wester Ross from the Isle of Skye. Its Gaelic name, Caol Loch Aillse, is usually translated as “the strait of the foaming loch”, and the setting lives up to it: tidal water racing under the Skye Bridge, the Cuillin hills rising across the sound, and fishing boats tied up beside a railway platform that ends almost in the sea. The village lies roughly 80 miles west of Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.

For most of its modern history Kyle has been a place of arrival and departure. The Highland Railway blasted its way through hard rock to reach the village in 1897, creating the western terminus of what is still called the Kyle Line, and for almost a century the ferry from here to Kyleakin was the main way on to Skye. The bridge replaced the ferry in 1995, but Kyle of Lochalsh remains the natural gateway to the island and one of the most scenic railheads in Britain, which is why the Belmond Royal Scotsman makes the journey west to this shore.

What to see in Kyle of Lochalsh

• The Kyle Line and station museum – The railway from Inverness crosses moorland, passes Loch Luichart and Loch Carron, and hugs the shoreline for its final miles. The old station building on the pier houses a small museum on the building of the line and its wartime role.
• Skye Bridge – The graceful concrete arch that carries the road over to Skye, using the small island of Eilean Bàn as a stepping stone. Walk out on the footpath for wide views down Loch Alsh and across to the Cuillin.
• Eilean Bàn – The “white island” beneath the bridge was the last home of Gavin Maxwell, author of Ring of Bright Water. It has a Stevenson-built lighthouse, a small museum in his memory and a hide for watching otters and seals.
• Plockton – About six miles north, this pretty row of whitewashed cottages faces a sheltered bay on Loch Carron, where the mild Gulf Stream climate lets cabbage palms grow along the waterfront. Boat trips from the harbour go out to see the resident seals.
• Eilean Donan Castle – Around eight miles east at Dornie, where three sea lochs meet, stands one of the most photographed castles in Scotland. The medieval stronghold was destroyed in 1719 and carefully rebuilt in the early twentieth century, complete with its stone causeway.
• Kyleakin and Caisteal Maol – Just across the water on Skye, the old ferry village of Kyleakin is watched over by the ruined keep of Caisteal Maol, linked by legend to a Norse princess who was said to charge a toll on passing ships.
• Balmacara Estate and Lochalsh Woodland Garden – A traditional crofting estate cared for by the National Trust for Scotland, with lochside woodland walks among tall pines, rhododendrons and ferns, and quiet viewpoints over to Skye.
• The Isle of Skye – Beyond the bridge lie the Cuillin mountains, Broadford, Portree and the distilleries of the island, all within reach for a day of exploring from Kyle.

What to eat in Kyle of Lochalsh

This is seafood country. Creel boats land langoustines, known locally simply as prawns, along with crab, lobster and hand-dived scallops from the surrounding lochs, and mussels are farmed in the clean, cold water nearby. Look for them served very simply, grilled with garlic butter or piled on a platter with oatcakes and smoked salmon. Cullen skink, a thick soup of smoked haddock, potato and onion, is the classic warming starter on a breezy day.

Inland, the hills supply venison and Highland beef and lamb, and no visit is complete without trying haggis with neeps and tatties. Finish with cranachan, a dessert of cream, toasted oats, raspberries, honey and whisky, or pick up buttery shortbread and crumbly, sugary tablet to take away. To drink, there are island single malts such as Talisker from Skye, known for its peppery, maritime character, as well as local ales and a growing number of Highland gins.

Shopping & crafts

Kyle is a working village rather than a shopping town, but its small shops and the galleries of nearby Plockton and Skye are good places to find Harris Tweed caps and bags, lambswool and Fair Isle style knitwear, hand-thrown island pottery, Celtic silver jewellery and landscape prints by local artists. A bottle of island single malt, a tin of shortbread or a jar of heather honey travels well and makes an easy gift.

Best time to visit

Late spring to early autumn is the most rewarding season. May and June usually bring the driest weather, very long daylight and rhododendrons in bloom; July and August are the warmest and busiest months; and September adds soft light and the first autumn colour on the hills. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, with short days, snow on the Cuillin and some attractions on reduced hours. Whatever the month, the west coast weather can change several times in one afternoon, and that shifting light is a large part of its beauty.

Good to know

• Pack layers and a proper waterproof jacket even in summer; sunshine, showers and wind often arrive within the same hour.
• Highland midges are most active on still, damp evenings from June to August. A good repellent and long sleeves make a real difference.
• Many local roads are single-track with passing places. Pull in on your left to let oncoming traffic through, and never park in a passing place.
• You will see Gaelic on road signs and station names throughout the area. “Fàilte” means welcome and “slàinte” is the toast when you raise a glass.
• Keep binoculars handy: otters, seals, porpoises and white-tailed sea eagles are all seen around Loch Alsh and Loch Carron.