Kyleakin
Encyclopedia
The village of Kyleakin (icon; Scottish Gaelic: Caol Àcain) 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
. Its name derives from 'Strait of Haakon' named after the King Haakon IV of Norway
whose fleet moored there prior to the Battle of Largs
that saw the end of Norwegian
rule of the island.
From 1841 to October 16, 1995 a ferry service operated from Kyleakin to the mainland across the narrow strait of Loch Alsh
, until it was replaced by the controversial Skye Bridge
. Initially a toll bridge
, the tolls were discontinued in 2004 following protests by local people.
In the early 19th century, Lord Macdonald
conceived a grandiose plan for the development of Kyleakin, to be re-christened "New Liverpool". A contemporary print, intended to illustrate his plans, shows row upon row of tenement buildings but the project never came to fruition.
The village of Kyleakin is also the site of Castle Moil, an ancient ruined fortress built in the late 15th century. Legend states that it was originally built for a Norwegian princess known as 'Saucy Mary' who would charge a toll to any boat using the narrow channel by hanging a chain from the castle to the mainland to prevent unpaid crossings. Her remains are said to buried on the top of Beinn na Caillich (Gaelic for mountain of the old woman), the large mountain to the rear of the castle ruins...although some local historians contest this and claim that the same named mountain a few miles north in the village of Broadford is home to her remains. Laid to rest there so that she may forever face the land of her birth.
Image:Castle Moil - Kyleakin.jpg|Caisteal Maol
.
Image:Kyleakin harbour.jpg|The Skye Bridge
spanning Kyle Akin.
Image:Bronze_otter_sculpture_Kyleakin_Isle_of_Skye_by_sculptor_Laurence_Broderick.jpg|Bronze Otter at Kyleakin, by sculptor Laurence Broderick
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, along the strait of Kyle Akin opposite the northwest Scottish
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...
mainland town of Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye...
. Its name derives from 'Strait of Haakon' named after the King Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon IV of Norway
Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....
whose fleet moored there prior to the Battle of Largs
Battle of Largs
The Battle of Largs was an engagement fought between the armies of Norway and Scotland near the present-day town of Largs in North Ayrshire on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland on 2 October 1263. It was the most important military engagement of the Scottish-Norwegian War. The Norwegian forces were...
that saw the end of Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
rule of the island.
From 1841 to October 16, 1995 a ferry service operated from Kyleakin to the mainland across the narrow strait of 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...
, until it was replaced by the controversial 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....
. Initially a toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
, the tolls were discontinued in 2004 following protests by local people.
In the early 19th century, Lord Macdonald
Alexander Macdonald, 2nd Baron Macdonald
Alexander Wentworth Macdonald, 2nd Baron Macdonald was a Scottish peer and Member of Parliament.Macdonald was the eldest son of Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald, and his wife Elizabeth Diana . He succeeded his father in the barony in 1795 but as this was an Irish peerage it did not entitle...
conceived a grandiose plan for the development of Kyleakin, to be re-christened "New Liverpool". A contemporary print, intended to illustrate his plans, shows row upon row of tenement buildings but the project never came to fruition.
The village of Kyleakin is also the site of Castle Moil, an ancient ruined fortress built in the late 15th century. Legend states that it was originally built for a Norwegian princess known as 'Saucy Mary' who would charge a toll to any boat using the narrow channel by hanging a chain from the castle to the mainland to prevent unpaid crossings. Her remains are said to buried on the top of Beinn na Caillich (Gaelic for mountain of the old woman), the large mountain to the rear of the castle ruins...although some local historians contest this and claim that the same named mountain a few miles north in the village of Broadford is home to her remains. Laid to rest there so that she may forever face the land of her birth.
Image:Castle Moil - Kyleakin.jpg|Caisteal Maol
Caisteal Maol
Caisteal Maol is a ruined castle located near the harbour of the village of Kyleakin, Isle of Skye, Scotland...
.
Image:Kyleakin harbour.jpg|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....
spanning Kyle Akin.
Image:Bronze_otter_sculpture_Kyleakin_Isle_of_Skye_by_sculptor_Laurence_Broderick.jpg|Bronze Otter at Kyleakin, by sculptor Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick
Laurence Broderick, ARBS, FRSA, is a British sculptor. His best known work is The Bull, a public sculpture in Birmingham, erected in 2003. His work consists largely of direct carvings in stone and editions in bronze, mostly figurative, wildlife and the female form...