Wester Ross, Skye & Inverness

You will find some of the most spectacular scenery in the British Isles within a day’s drive. Here are three popular itineraries.

Isle of Skye

Plockton is only fifteen minutes from Skye, via the Skye Bridge at Kyle. A tour of the island can be completed in less than a day. Highlights include:

  • the Red and Black Cuillin ranges
  • the cliffs of the Quiraing and the Old Man of Storr in the north-east
  • Dunvegan Castle, ancestral home of the MacLeods, in the north-west
  • the Talisker whisky distillery, in the centre
  • the sea-lochs of the south-west and the Sleat peninsula, including the Clan Donald Centre.

Applecross

Applecross, the large peninsula to the north of Plockton is visible from many points in the village. It is reached by an hour’s drive along the south shore of Loch Carron, then turning back along the north shore, through the village of Lochcarron, past the deserted site of the Kishorn oil platform fabrication site, to the foot of the Bealach na Ba, the Pass of the Cattle, which is where the fun starts.

This formidable road is the steepest in Britain and is not suitable for inexperienced drivers. As you ascend the numerous hair-pin bends, with steep drops at the side, you will hope not to meet a truck coming the other way, in which case you will need your reversing skills to get back to the closest passing place.

The views from the summit are truly spectacular, with much of the north-west visible on a good day. Carry on to the village of Applecross, where a good lunch is served in the hotel. Then head north to Loch Torridon, framed by the rugged Torridon range, and onto the pretty village of Shieldaig.

Return to Plockton by Kishorn and Lochcarron.

Inverness

Inverness, recently Europe’s fast-growing city, is the capital of the Highlands and well worth a visit.

Less than two hours car drive by Achnasheen, very scenic, or by Glenmoriston, scenic and passing along Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.

Drumnadrochit, on Ness-side, is the focus for all things Ness, including monsters. The best facility is the five-star Loch Ness Exhibition Centre.

Alternatively, travel to Inverness by the world-famous Kyle Line.

In Inverness, we recommend: