Plockton
Encyclopedia
Plockton is a village in the Highlands
of Scotland
with a population of 378 http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/sz/plockton.htm.
. It faces east, away from the prevailing winds, which together with the North Atlantic Drift
gives it a mild climate allowing the Cordyline australis palm or cabbage tree to prosper.
Most of the houses date from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a planned community based on fishing in an attempt to stem the tide of emigration from the Highlands. The Church of Scotland
in the village (also used by the Free Church of Scotland
) was designed by Thomas Telford
.
The village is a popular tourist resort, especially because the TV series Hamish Macbeth
, starring Robert Carlyle
, was filmed there, substituting for the fictional Lochdubh. Plockton was also used for various scenes in the film The Wicker Man and the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries TV series.
The village boasts a small general store with a cafe; a takeaway
; the Plockton Shores restaurant; newsagent and craft shop; three hotels with pubs; numerous B&Bs
; library with free internet access and a village hall, which holds community events and art exhibitions. It is served by Plockton railway station
, on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line
. In 2003, the Plockton Hotel and Plockton Inn managed to respectively win AA
Pub of the Year and AA
Seafood Pub of Year.
Calum's seal and dolphin trips are the longest established boat trips in the area with a 4 star visitor attraction grading.
Plockton High School serves the village, and a wide surrounding area.
Nearby is Duncraig Castle, a 19th century stately home built by the Matheson family, who made their money in the opium trade. The castle was derelict for many years, having previously been used as an hospital, catering college, and a base for film crews. It was once owned by the extended Dobson family who were in the process of renovating it and this was shown in the BBC documentary titled The Dobsons of Duncraig. The castle was sold in 2009 to Suzanne Hazeldine.
and Scotland, Plockton experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
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...
with a population of 378 http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/sz/plockton.htm.
Details
Plockton is a picturesque settlement on the shores of Loch CarronLoch Carron
Loch Carron is a sea loch on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands. It is the point at which the River Carron enters the North Atlantic Ocean....
. It faces east, away from the prevailing winds, which together with the North Atlantic Drift
North Atlantic Current
The North Atlantic Current is a powerful warm ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream northeast. West of Ireland it splits in two; one branch, the Canary Current, goes south, while the other continues north along the coast of northwestern Europe...
gives it a mild climate allowing the Cordyline australis palm or cabbage tree to prosper.
Most of the houses date from the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a planned community based on fishing in an attempt to stem the tide of emigration from the Highlands. The Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
in the village (also used by the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)
Free Church of Scotland is that part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside of the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900...
) was designed by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
.
The village is a popular tourist resort, especially because the TV series Hamish Macbeth
Hamish 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...
, starring Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
, was filmed there, substituting for the fictional Lochdubh. Plockton was also used for various scenes in the film The Wicker Man and the Inspector Alleyn Mysteries TV series.
The village boasts a small general store with a cafe; a takeaway
Take-out
Take-out or takeout , carry-out , take-away , parcel , or tapau , is food purchased at a...
; the Plockton Shores restaurant; newsagent and craft shop; three hotels with pubs; numerous B&Bs
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
; library with free internet access and a village hall, which holds community events and art exhibitions. It is served by Plockton railway station
Plockton railway station
Plockton railway station is a railway station on the Kyle of Lochalsh Line, serving the village of Plockton in the Highlands, north-west Scotland. The station is now unstaffed....
, on the Kyle of Lochalsh 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...
. In 2003, the Plockton Hotel and Plockton Inn managed to respectively win AA
Automobile Association
Automobile Association may refer to:*Australian Automobile Association in Australia.*Automobile Association of South Africa*Canadian Automobile Association in Canada.*Dominion Automobile Association in Canada....
Pub of the Year and AA
Automobile Association
Automobile Association may refer to:*Australian Automobile Association in Australia.*Automobile Association of South Africa*Canadian Automobile Association in Canada.*Dominion Automobile Association in Canada....
Seafood Pub of Year.
Calum's seal and dolphin trips are the longest established boat trips in the area with a 4 star visitor attraction grading.
Plockton High School serves the village, and a wide surrounding area.
Nearby is Duncraig Castle, a 19th century stately home built by the Matheson family, who made their money in the opium trade. The castle was derelict for many years, having previously been used as an hospital, catering college, and a base for film crews. It was once owned by the extended Dobson family who were in the process of renovating it and this was shown in the BBC documentary titled The Dobsons of Duncraig. The castle was sold in 2009 to Suzanne Hazeldine.
Climate
The MetOffice operates a weather station at Plockton for which 30 year averages are available. As with the rest of the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
and Scotland, Plockton experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters.