Plockton
-> Scotland
-> Highland region
-> West coast
-> Kyle of Lochalsh and around
-> Plockton
A fifteen-minute train ride north of Kyle at the seaward end of islet-studded Loch Carron lies the unbelievably picturesque village of PLOCKTON: a chocolate-box row of neatly painted cottages ranged around the curve of a tiny harbour and backed by a craggy landscape of heather and pine. Its fifteen minutes of fame came in the mid-1990s, when the BBC chose the village as the setting for the TV drama Hamish Macbeth. Though the resulting spin-off has quietened down a little, in high season it's still packed full of tourists, yachties and second-home owners. The unique brilliance of Plockton's light has also made it something of an artists' hangout, and during the summer the waterfront, with its row of shaggy palm trees, even shaggier Highland cattle, flower gardens and pleasure boats, is invariably dotted with painters dabbing at their easels.
The friendly, cosy Haven Hotel, on Innes Street (tel 01599/544223; £70-90), is renowned for its excellent food, while the Plockton Inn, also on Innes Street (tel 01599/544222; £50-60), makes an informal and comfortable alternative. Of the fifteen or so B&Bs, the Shieling (tel 01599/544282; £40-50) has a great location on a tiny headland at the top of the harbour, and at An Caladh (tel 01599/544356; under £40) on the main street, guests have the free use of a wooden sailing dinghy. There's also the attractive new Station Bunkhouse (tel 01599/544235, gill@ecosse.com), built in the shape of a signal box next to the railway station, which has four- and six-person dorms and a cosy open-plan kitchen and living area.
Both the Haven and the Plockton Inn have excellent seafood restaurants, while Off the Rails, in the train station, serves good-value, imaginative snacks by day, and evening meals. The Buttery, part of Plockton Stores on the seafront, is also open all day for snacks and inexpensive meals. For fishing or seal-spotting boat trips from Plockton, try Leisure Marine (tel 01599/544306) or Plockton Activity Holidays (tel 01599/544356).
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustees for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. |
back