Kyle of Lochalsh
Encyclopedia
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland
, 63 miles (100 km) west of Inverness
. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh
, opposite the village of Kyleakin
on the Isle of Skye. A ferry which used to connect the two villages was replaced by the Skye Bridge
, about a mile (2 km) to the west, in 1995.
The village is the transport and shopping centre for the area as well as having a harbour, marina
with pontoons for maritime visitors. The surrounding scenery and wildlife are regarded as attractions of the village, as is the slow pace of life. Crofting
as well as more recent crofting pursuits like salmon farming
are some of the activities taking place in Kyle of Lochalsh.
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station
is connected to Inverness by the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line
, built in 1897 to improve public transport to the north-west of Scotland. The line ends on the water's edge, near where the ferry connection used to run.
A land-based control centre of the Royal Naval
BUTEC
submarine
range is based in Kyle of Lochalsh.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, 63 miles (100 km) west of Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh
Loch Alsh or Lochalsh is a sea inlet between the isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides and the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The name is also used to described the surrounding country and the feudal holdings around the loch...
, opposite the village of Kyleakin
Kyleakin
The village of Kyleakin is situated on the east coast of the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh...
on the Isle of Skye. A ferry which used to connect the two villages was replaced by the Skye Bridge
Skye Bridge
The Skye Bridge is a road bridge over Loch Alsh, connecting mainland Highland with the Isle of Skye, Scotland. It forms part of the A87. The bridge is located at around , with one pillar standing on the island of Eilean Bàn....
, about a mile (2 km) to the west, in 1995.
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
with pontoons for maritime visitors. The surrounding scenery and wildlife are regarded as attractions of the village, as is the slow pace of life. Crofting
Crofting
Crofting is a form of land tenure and small-scale food production unique to the Scottish Highlands, the Islands of Scotland, and formerly on the Isle of Man....
as well as more recent crofting pursuits like salmon farming
Aquaculture of salmon
Salmon, along with carp, are the two most important fish groups in aquaculture. In 2007, the aquaculture of salmon and salmon trout was worth US$10.7 billion. The most commonly farmed salmon is the Atlantic salmon. Other commonly farmed fish groups include tilapia, catfish, sea bass, bream and...
are some of the activities taking place in Kyle of Lochalsh.
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is the terminus of the Kyle of Lochalsh Line in the village of Kyle of Lochalsh in the Highlands, northern Scotland....
is connected to Inverness by the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line
Kyle of Lochalsh Line
The Kyle of Lochalsh Line is a primarily single track railway line in the Scottish Highlands, running from Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. The population along the route is sparse in nature, but the scenery is beautiful and can be quite dramatic, the Kyle line having been likened to a symphony in...
, built in 1897 to improve public transport to the north-west of Scotland. The line ends on the water's edge, near where the ferry connection used to run.
A land-based control centre of the Royal Naval
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
BUTEC
BUTEC
BUTEC, the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre is a small range used to evaluate the sensors and aural emissions of British submarines. It is operated on behalf of the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence by QinetiQ...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
range is based in Kyle of Lochalsh.
In popular culture
- In 1980, the BBC did a series of documentaries, entitled "Great Railway Journeys Of The WorldGreat Railway JourneysGreat Railway Journeys, originally titled Great Railway Journeys of the World, is a recurring series of travel documentaries produced by BBC Television...
". The Kyle of Lochalsh appeared in an episode entitled "Confessions of a Trainspotter", presented by Michael PalinMichael PalinMichael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
. In the segment, Palin traveled by various trains from LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the furthest north point by rail, Kyle of Lochalsh. His humour was evident throughout the documentary. Upon reaching the Kyle of Lochalsh, he purchased a large piece of railway memorabilia—the Kyle of Lochalsh railway platform sign. The ending credits showed Palin taking the oversized sign with him back to London, which he then hung on his garden wall at home. - Along with nearby town PlocktonPlocktonPlockton is a village in the Highlands of Scotland with a population of 378 .- Details :Plockton is a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch Carron...
, the town became the backdrop to the BBC drama series "Hamish MacBethHamish Macbeth (TV series)Hamish Macbeth is a television series made by BBC Scotland and first aired in 1995. It is loosely based on a series of mystery novels by M. C. Beaton . The series concerns a local police officer, Constable Hamish Macbeth in the fictitious town of Lochdubh on the north coast of Scotland. The titular...
". - Kyle of Lochalsh was visited by the characters in Mark ChadbournMark ChadbournMark Chadbourn is an English fantasy, science fiction and horror author with fifteen novels published around the world.Born in the English Midlands from a long line of coal miners...
's trilogy, Age of MisruleThe Age of Misrule (series)The Age of Misrule is a three-book modern fantasy novel series, written by Mark Chadbourn. It is set in Britain and the faery Otherworld around the beginning of the third millennium....
.