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 village
facilities
history
getting
here
Once reliant on fishing and crofting, Plockton today is still,
in many ways, a typical West Highland coastal village, but now with
an modern emphasis on tourism and hospitality.
Arriving in Plockton, the first thing that strikes the visitor
is the proximity of the sea. The village sits on a the sheltered
side of a ploc (point) which juts into the waters facing the head
of the sea loch Carron. On the right hand side, the forested hills
merge into the grandiose Duncraig Crags, beneath which sits Duncraig
Castle. The hills sweep round to the (hidden) opening to Loch Carron
itself and on eventually to the Torridon range. Out of sight initially
but visible from the brae is the peninsula of Applecross, and beyond
that, Skye and the Outer Hebrides.
Harbour Street is the main street of the village; here you will
find the Plockton Hotel and the Plockton Stores, and, further on,
An Caladh. The gardens on the seaward side belong to the houses
opposite; their palm trees (cabbage palms, parts of which are edible)
were planted in the nineteenth century, and, like other subtropical
flora on the West Coast, can survive because of the sheltered nature
of the location, and the warming influence of the Gulf Stream.
Carry on up Harbour Street to the village hall, and you can turn
right towards the pier, the village green and Rhu. Continue over
the causeway and you will come back out on Harbour Street, just
at An Caladh. If you were to carry on past the hall, you will see
the little bay of Obanduine on your right, and further up the hill,
the houses at Frithard.
Plockton has all the facilities that the visitor needs for a short
stay. The Plockton Stores is well stocked with groceries, fresh
bread, toys and fishing rods for the kids, beer, wines and spirits,
and the Buttery, a cafe for lunch and ice cream. They will also
exchange foreign currency at the daily rate, and give you cash back
on your Switch card. Kyle of Lochalsh has two banks (HBoS and RBS) and a main post office,.
There is a sub post office in Plockton, with limited opening hours.
You will find local and international crafts at The Studio, local
knitwear at Lochalsh Weavers, and newspapers and gifts at MacKenzies.
For a small village, Plockton has a great deal to offer for eating
out. Both the Plockton Hotel and the Plockton Inn (the first hotel
that you see as you drive into the village) serve fresh local produce
for lunch and dinner, including seafood, fish, venison and steak.
Children are welcome and the vegetarian will not go hungry. The
Haven Hotel (just after the Plockton Inn) has a Scottish gourmet
menu (diners are asked to wear jacket and tie) and Off the Rails
has an international flavour and an unusual setting, on the platform
of the now unmanned Plockton railway station.
The known history of Plockton stretches back only to the late eighteenth century when the Plockton promontory, part of the Seaforth estate, was home to no more than three or four crofting families. From 1801, a new owner, Sir Hugh Innes, established a
planned village based on fishing, and by 1841, Plockton had a population
of over 500, and was referred to as 'a thriving fishing centre with
two schools', with Plockton vessels trading as far south as the
Clyde. From then until the end of nineteenth century Plockton continued
to prosper from the sea, and it was during this time that a new
owner, Sir Alexander Matheson, built Duncraig Castle as his family
home. The railway line from Inverness was built and extended past
Strome Ferry to include a stop at Plockton, which has served the
village well.
However, economic decline set in and many Plockton people began
to emigrate, to Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, and
with First World War losses, the years after 1918 saw possibly the
lowest population figures in the history of the village. The first
marriage for ten years of a man resident in Plockton took place
in 1924 (Dan MacKenzie).
Tourism proved to be the turning point for the West Highlands economy
and, since the seventies, has been the main activity in the region,
reaching a peak in Plockton in the late 1990s with the filming of
the BBC series 'Hamish Macbeth' in the village.
For a remote area, it's straightforward to get to Plockton. We are about four hours drive by car from Edinburgh or Glasgow.
From Edinburgh, head north over the Forth Road Bridge to Perth.
At Perth, follow signs for Inverness and continue north on the A9
until Dalwhinnie. Turn left here, and make for Spean Bridge. Turn
left in the village for Invergarry and Kyle of Lochalsh. Near Kyle,
just after Reraig, watch out for the Plockton sign. Head over the
hill and follow the signs.
From Glasgow, cross the Clyde at the Erskine Bridge (toll) and
head for Dumbarton. Then follow the signs for Loch Lomond to Tarbet.
Here, turn right and head for Crianlarich. Then pass over Rannoch
Moor, through Glencoe, to Fort William. Head for Inverness, but
at Spean Bridge, turn right for Invergarry, and directions are the
same as above.
Plockton is on the Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh railway line, widely
acknowledged as the most spectacular in Britain. There are four
trains a day each way in summer, three in winter. We can meet you
at the station, if required.
Our nearest airport is Inverness, served by BA and easyJet. If
you want to fly in by yourself, there is an airfield at Plockton,
suitable for small aircraft and helicopters.
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