Discover Skye & the Islands - Discover Scotland: Experience the Best of Scotland - page 459

child-friendly exhibition on Maxwell, the lighthouse and the island's wildlife. Tour times
were uncertain at the time of research - best call ahead to check.
A shuttle bus runs half-hourly between Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin (five minutes),
and there are eight to 10 buses daily (except Sunday) to Broadford and Portree.
Sleat
If you cross over the sea to Skye on the ferry from Mallaig you arrive in Armadale, at the
southern end of the long, low-lying peninsula known as Sleat (pronounced 'slate'). The
landscape of Sleat itself is not exceptional, but it provides a grandstand for ogling the
magnificent scenery on either side - take the steep and twisting minor road that loops
through Tarskavaig and Tokavaig for stunning views of the Isle of Rum, the Cuillin Hills
and Bla Bheinn.
Armadale
Armadale, where the ferry from Mallaig arrives, is little more than a store, a post office
and a couple of houses. There are six or seven buses a day (Monday to Saturday) from Ar-
madale to Broadford and Portree.
Detour:
Eilean Donan Castle
Photogenically sited at the entrance to Loch Duich, near Dornie village, Eilean Donan Castle (
01599-555202; www.eileandonancastle.com ; adult/child £6/5; 9.30am-6pm Mar-Oct) is one of Scot-
land's most evocative castles, and must be represented in millions of photo albums. It's on an offshore islet, magic-
ally linked to the mainland by an elegant, stone-arched bridge. It's very much a re-creation inside, with an excellent
introductory exhibition. Keep an eye out for the photos of castle scenes from the movie Highlander ; there's also a
sword used at the battle of Culloden in 1746. The castle was bombarded into ruins by government ships in 1719
when Jacobite forces were defeated at the Battle of Glenshiel. It was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932.
Scottish Citylink buses from Fort William and Inverness to Portree, on the Isle of Skye, will stop opposite the
castle.