| Kyle - Plock Viewpoint (picture by Peter Watts) |  |
Kyle - Plock Viewpoint
Photographer Description of Kyle - Plock Viewpoint
This panoramic photograph goes only some way to convey the peacefulness of watching the sailing boats on Loch Alsh and birds floating in the skies around Skye. Neither can it capture the sweet smell of the enormous amount of gorse bush flowers that surround the Plock Viewpoint above Kyle. It must also be noted that there are times, not too infrequent, when all one can see from here are sheets and mists of gray.Kyle - Plock Viewpoint - Further Information
Panorama from the Plock Viewpoint in Kyle. As this panoramic photograph shows, the view from Kyle over to the Isle of Skye is spectacular. On a clear day the Skye bridge can clearly be seen linking the Scottish mainland to Skye itself. The bridge touches Skye very close to Kyleakin, the town visible on the opposite side of Loch Alsh from Kyle.Kyleakin is a small town with a busy little port. Close to the town are the ruins of Castle Moil. Behind Kyleakin the ascending peaks of some of the hills and Munro's on Skye and Sleat rise above each other in layers including Beinn na Cailliach (Scottish Gaelic: hill of the old woman). Another very similar hill rises behind Broadford, also called Beinn na Cailliach, the co-incidence continues in their respective heights being only one meter of a difference!
Off the coast from Kyle, just north of the Skye Bridge, lies the tiny island of Eilean a' Mhal in the Inner Sound, the body of water that separates the Inner Hebrides from Scotland. Behind here lies a coral reef and at low tide, a network of rocky outcrops form an archipelago linked by tiny but pristine coral sand beaches. Only accessible by dinghy, they allow you to feel entirely alone with a choice of private beaches to enjoy for a few hours before the tide rises again and they re-submerge beneath the sea.
The Inner Sound and the Bay of Broadford form an area of sea with diverse usage. Many fishing boats work this area for prawns, crabs and other shellfish as well as a wide range of fish which, being from the waters off of Skye, is in favoured demand around the world for top restaurants. Many local restaurants here are award winning for the standard of their fish cuisine.
From the harbour in Kyle there are boat tours taking in the best of the coastline and seeking out otters and seals. Yachts and pleasure craft right through to commercial haulage tanker vessels, and all in between, use this shipping lane. The Ministry of Defence also uses these waters for military training, exercise and testing and it's not uncommon to spot their ships in these waters, such as The Tormentor at Kyle Harbour. Yet somehow, this panorama never appears to be busy nor does it lose it's calming tranquility.
Travel and Getting There:
Kyle is 80 miles west of Inverness on the A87. Once in Kyle, follow signs for the golf course and picnic area. Half a mile uphill, the road becomes single track and rises steeply just beyond the end of the housed area. Turn sharp right and continue uphill to picnic area. This viewpoint has a small carpark and many terraces with picnic tables.