Over The Sea To Skye

Willie Shand makes the crossing to one of Scotland’s most beautiful and romantic islands.

IT seems like only yesterday that to cross from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin on Skye, we’d to join the often long queue for the car ferry.

It’s hard to believe that it’s now over 20 years since the last ferry made that crossing – its service made redundant by the opening of the Skye Bridge in 1995.

For a time, tolls were levied to cross the bridge. It was one of the highest tolls for any crossing in Europe. Following a lengthy campaign, the tolls were eventually abolished and now there’s no need for traffic to stop at all before crossing on to the island – if indeed it can still be called an island now that it’s firmly connected to the mainland!

We can still sail “over the sea to Skye”, though, by taking the summer ferry from Glenelg over the Kyle Rhea or by crossing from Mallaig to Armadale.

I’ve just driven to Kyle of Lochalsh this morning with my sights set on crossing to the Misty Isle, but I’m not continuing over the bridge – not in the car, at least. Today, I thought I’d slow things right down and walk across.

Just before the bridge, where the old toll booths used to stand, is a wee car park for the Plock. This is a community parkland owned and managed by the Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust. The couple of miles circular to the Plock is an ideal introduction to the area.

Within minutes of leaving the road, the track has led us into a colourful meadow, the air scented with flowering whin. Eyebright, sneezewort, ragged robin, forget-me-not . . . they say there are over 80 different flowering plants to be found here and among them at least six different types of wild orchid.

Several offshoot tracks lead down to the rocky shoreline and to hidden, sheltered bays. The sea is crystal clear and fringed with bright orange seaweed.