Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kyleakin (Caol Acain)
POP 100
Poor wee Kyleakin had the carpet pulled from under it when the Skye Bridge opened - it
went from being the gateway to the island to a backwater bypassed by the main road. It's
now a pleasant, peaceful little place, with a harbour used by yachts and fishing boats.
The community-run
Bright Water Visitor Centre
(
01599-530040;
www.eileanban.org
;
The Pier; adult/child £1/free; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri Easter-Sep)
serves as a base for tours of
Eilean Ban
- the island used as a stepping stone by the Skye
Bridge - where Gavin Maxwell (author of
Ring of Bright Water
) spent the last 18 months
of his life in 1968-69, living in the lighthouse keeper's cottage. The island is now a nature
reserve and tours (£7 per person) are available in summer (must be booked in advance).
The visitor centre also houses a 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.
There are two hostels and a couple of B&Bs in the village. The friendly
Skye Back-
packers
(
01599-534510;
www.skyebackpackers.com
;
dm/tw £18/47)
is our favourite,
with even cheaper beds (£13) in caravans out back.
About 3 miles southwest of Kyleakin, a minor road leads southwards to
Kylerhea
,
where there's a 1½-hour nature trail to a shorefront
otter hide
, where you stand a good
chance of seeing these elusive creatures. A little further on is the jetty for the
car ferry to
Glenelg
on the mainland.
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.
Broadford (An T-Ath Leathann)
POP 1050
Broadford is a service centre for the scattered communities of southern Skye. The long,
straggling village has a tourist office, a 24-hour petrol station, and a large
Co-op super-
market
(
8am-10pm Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm Sun)
with an ATM, a laundrette and a bank.
There are lots of B&Bs in and around Broadford and the village is well placed for ex-
ploring southern Skye by car.
