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More about
the Kylesku Area
Kylesku Bridge
The
nature of the Scottish landscape means that links across
stretches of water have been vital to the transport
infrastructure of the country. The Kylesku Bridge,
opened in 1984, has been described as one of the most
beautiful bridges in the world. It was designed by
the architects Arup to compliment the natural beauty of
the site, and won several design and construction
awards.
Before the bridge, this 130-metre stretch of water was
crossed by ferry from the village of Kylesku. A
ferry had run here since the early 19th century with car
ferries beginning between the wars and a
roll-on-roll-off ferry in 1975. The road to the
bridge now bypasses Kylesku. The bridge carries
the A894 road over the loch
eliminating
the 130km detour necessary at times when the ferry
service was not operating. This vastly improved
contact within the scattered community north of Kylesku,
and helped to develop the tourist potential of the
region. Viewing this bridge is a must if you are
in the area. A two minute walk from the Kylesku
Hotel will take you through the woods to the bridge.
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XIIth Submarine Flotilla Memorial:
X-craft in Kylesku
On the
North side of the bridge is a memorial marking the 50th
anniversary of the formation of the XIIth Submarine
Flotilla which operated out of Lochs Glendhu and
Glencoul from 1943. This unit of X-craft miniature submarines trained around the waters
of Kylesku before setting off for Norway where they
attacked and crippled the infamous German battleship,
Tirpitz. In the Bar at the Hotel we have a
presentation covering the story in more detail and I
recommend the excellent
website on WWII submarines by Geoff Chalcraft for
further information. The memorial remembers those 39 men
and the locals of the area who "knew so much and
talked so little"
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Statesman boat trips
 The Statesman is a 25-ton
wooden hulled pleasure boat that runs trips from the Kylesku Hotel slipway in the summer. There are two main
trips, one to
Eas a
Chual Aluinn
and one to
Kerrachar Gardens. Both trips allow passengers to
view the stunning landscape from a different angle and
to see the seals, otters, golden eagles and other wildlife that
inhabits the area.
 Eas a
Chual Aluinn
is
Britain’s tallest waterfall at 200m high. Its name means
‘the splendid waterfall of Coul’. Boat trips leave
twice daily in the
summer and last approximately two
hours. It is also possible to approach
the waterfall on
foot from Loch na Gainmhich, although the trip is only
advisable for experienced walkers.
Kerrachar Gardens
(www.kerrachar.co.uk)
lies in its own little bay on the south shore of Loch a’ Chairn Bhain and is most easily accessed by the boat. Trips
run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday during the summer.
Peter and Trish Kohn, who started the garden in 1995,
have done a splendid job developing this 1 hectare
disused croft into a marvellous plantsman’s garden.
Trips can be booked by phoning +44 1971 502 345.
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Walking and Climbing
The mountains of Assynt are very distinctive, formed
from reddish-brown Torridonian sandstone and rising as
isolated peaks out of the Lewisian
Gneiss landscape. As
well as the famous peaks of Canisp, Suilven, Stac
Pollaidh, Quinaig, Foinaven, Arkle and Ben More Assynt, which are all
popular with
climbers and walkers, there are many lower
level and shorter walks in the area such as the
loch-side walk along Loch Glendhu, pictured in winter
below. The Old Man of
Stoer, an impressive 200 foot sea stack off Stoer
Point provides popular and challenging routes for rock
climbers.
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Fishing
Sutherland provides some of the best trout fishing in
Scotland and the Kylesku Hotel is able to organise local
permits if required. Sea fishing can also be arranged
from Scourie and Lochinver. Recent seasons have seen
the return of superb catches, particularly of cod and
haddock. Shoals of mackerel move through the loch
outside the hotel during August and September, and they
can even be seen from the breakfast and dinner table.
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The Best Beaches
There are a number of beautiful sandy beaches in this
part of Sutherland. To the north of Kylesku there
is
the stunning Oldshoremore beach, Durness Bay and Sandwood Bay.
My favourite is the relatively quiet Oldshoremore, which
has easy access from a carpark 100m away.
 Flanked
on both sides by impressive rocky cliffs, it makes a
great spot for an afternoon with the family. The
famous Sandwood Bay is even more impressive but is less
accessible, requiring a 4 mile walk to get there.
To the South
of Kylesku, along the coast of Assynt, there is the
white sand and rocky coves of the ever popular Achmelvich Bay.
 Eroded
Torridonian sandstone makes up the reddish sands of
Clachtoll
Bay and Clashnessie Bay, found a
few miles west of Kylesku along the amazing Drumbeg
coastal road.
Forming a wonderful contrast to these beautiful sands is
the clear blue ocean, which attracts swimming, kayaking,
snorkelling and windsurfing.
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Wildlife
This area of the country supports a wide variety of
wildlife. The red deer and the roe deer are
indigenous to the area; foxes are plentiful; otters,
seals and golden eagles are regularly seen around
Kylesku; whales, dolphins and
porpoises can be spotted from boat trips out of Kylesku
or Lochinver; and if you’re lucky then you might even
see a wild cat, mountain hare or pine
martin.
The area is also a bird-watching paradise with a number
of both coastal and inland spots teeming with feathered
friends. A few places worth a visit are Handa
Island, Stoer Point and Culag Woods.
Handa Island
(www.swt.org.uk/wildlife/popup_reserves/north/handa.htm)
is an amazing nature reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust,
which provides home for over a 100,000 breeding seabirds
(making it one of the largest in northern Europe),
including guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars,
puffins, shags, great skuas and Artic skuas. Access to
the uninhabited island is via a ferry trip from Tarbert.
The Point of Stoer, the
most westerly part of Sutherland provides panoramic
views of the mountains of Assynt,
 the
rugged Wester Ross coastline and, on a clear day, the
Hebrides. A clifftop walk northwards for about 2 miles
from the
Rhu Stoer Lighthouse
car park leads to the impressive 200-foot sea stack, the
Old Man of Stoer.
The lighthouse, dating from 1870, was automated in 1976.
Culag Woods,
Lochinver, is a working woodland, managed and run by
local people. The woods are a particularly good place to
see local plants, birds and insects. There is a large
heronry from which live pictures are broadcast onto a
screen in the Assynt Visitors Centre in the summer.
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Geology
The northwest of Scotland has some of the most ancient
and unique geology in Europe. With its recently
awarded 'Global Geopark' status (the first in Scotland
and with an excellent website) the surrounding 2000 square
km area of northwest Scotland justifiably claims to be
an area with a geological heritage of particular
importance both in terms of its scientific quality,
rarity, aesthetic appeal and educational value. From Lochinver to Cape
Wrath there is a coastal strip of Lewisian gneiss 10
miles wide, with gneiss and Torridonian patches north of
Scourie. Knockan Crag (www.knockan-crag.co.uk),
a National Nature Reserve, is a centre where visitors
can learn more about the geology of the far northwest of
Scotland.
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Other Places of Interest
Ullapool and Loch Broom -
With it's picture postcard rows of white buildings,
Ullapool sits on the banks of one of Scotland's most
beautiful lochs, Loch Broom. You will pass through
Ullapool coming to Kylesku from the south. This
fishing port is now the main hub for Cal Mac ferries
leaving for the Western Isles.
Inchnadamph Reserve
– covering the 3000-acre plateau between Stronchrubie
cliffs and Breabag, the area is well-known for its rich
and varied plant life and a multitude of cave systems.
Inverpolly Nature Reserve
covering 27,000 acres is the second largest nature
reserve in Great Britain and includes the sandstone
peaks of Cul Mor, Cul Beag and Stac Pollaidh.
Smoo Cave
(www.smoocave.org)
– two miles east of Durness this is probably the largest
cave entrance in Britain and has been a tourist
attraction since Sir Walter Scott’s visit in 1814. The
large limestone cave is studded with stalagmites and
stalactites.
Falls of Kirkaig
– from the bridge over the River Kirkaig a path leads
east to the Falls of Kirkaig (about 2 miles) and on to
the south side of Suilven.
Highland Stoneware
(www.highlandstoneware.com,
Tel 01571 844 376) – This extremely popular pottery is
based in Lochinver and has a showroom and workshop which
shoppers can walk around observing the craftsmen at
work.
Lochinver
(www.lochinver.bordernet.co.uk)
is an important fishing port. The village provides a
wide range of services for tourists with the Assynt
Visitor Centre, the Highland Regional Council Ranger
Service, shops, a bank and petrol station. A Highland
Games are held here each August.
The Hydroponicum,
Achiltibuie (www.thehydroponicum.com)
is a unique attraction where a magnificent array of
tropical flowers and luscious fruits are all grown
without soil.
Useful websites with information on the area:
Undiscovered Scotland - an excellent site with an
excellent page on Kylesku
www.secret-scotland.com - ideas for your route
around Scotland
www.scottishancestor.co.uk - specialists in
ancestral visits and family research
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