Kyle of Lochalsh

[MCR247]

I'm thinking of doing this trip sometime, but I'm wondering if anyone here can advise if there is enough to do for 2 1/2 hours or should I just get the train back half an hour later?

Any advice?

Also, if anyone knows anywhere nice to eat there that would be great!

 

[Greenback]

In all honesty there isn't very much in Kyle, it's quite a small place. Having siad that, there is a cafe and chip shop not far from the station where we had very nice sausage, chips and beans.

There is also the station itself, where there is a little museum, a couple of shops and some great views of Skye. It may be posisble to take a bus over to the island if the timings are right.

 

[eastdyke]

mmmmm

I went a couple of summers ago in late June.

Got in on the last train (having travelled from Norwich) and went out on the first (back to Inverness via Dingwall and Wick).

Either way the Kyle bridge looks fantastic in low light conditions!

 

[Greenback]

I think there are some magnificent photos to be had in Kyle, but I don't know if the OP is itnerested in photography.

If so, 2.5 hour smay not be long enough, if not it may be far too long!

 

[class26]

I'm thinking of doing this trip sometime, but I'm wondering if anyone here can advise if there is enough to do for 2 1/2 hours or should I just get the train back half an hour later?

Any advice?

Also, if anyone knows anywhere nice to eat there that would be great!

You could go back as far as Plockton and spend some time there before catching the last train to Inverness. Its a very pleasant village to spend a couple of hours and you could take a boat out into Lock Carron

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There is also the station itself, where there is a little museum, a couple of shops and some great views of Skye. It may be posisble to take a bus over to the island if the timings are right.

Bus?!

You can still get a boat over to Skye - it runs from almost next door to the station.

I'd say get the 09.00 from Inverness, 11.28 at Kyle and 14.35 back, 17.06 at Inverness. There is enough to do in that time even if you don't go over to Skye.

There's a dedicated high level viewpoint ( semi-signposted, but just ask the locals ) about ½ hour's walk north from the station which is excellent for what it is intended as.

 

[yorkie]

It seems bonkers to go to Kyle and head straight back - but that's just my opinion!

There is a "local" easement that permits tickets that are valid from Edinburgh to Kyle to be used to return from Mallaig.

There is a bus - the most scenic in the country - that runs from Kyle to Armadale, this connects with the ferry (in Summer at least, not sure about winter - possibly not) that in turn connects with the train from Mallaig that connects with the sleeper.

The best time of year for this - by far - is May/June.

I would highly recommend this round trip journey!

If you do just want to go to Kyle and back, then at least go on an SRPS railtour (Scotsman is a steward for SRPS and could provide any more information you want)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Bus?!.

Yes, it also acts as a school bus, I think it may not run through to Armadale in winter though, but in Summer it provides a service for schoolkids, locals and tourists.

When several members of this forum went a few years ago, it was quite an interesting journey. Firstly, the machine broke so the journey was free. Secondly, when we boarded there were no seats together, so we paused for a moment, and the people on the bus (mostly youngsters) encouraged us to sit down among them. I've never quite seen anything like that on a bus before. Thirdly, a lad accidentally spilt something while exiting from the bus, and the driver got a broom, handed it to the lad who swept away the mess onto the road. The scenery was incredible. I have to rate it as the most amazing - and bizarre - bus journey ever. It would be madness to get all the way to Kyle and not get on that bus (even if you hate buses) IMO.

I would also recommend the Fish & Chip restaurant in Mallaig, but unfortunately I don't think there's time to do that between the ferry arriving and the train departing.

 

[MCR247]

Thanks for all of the information!

Does anyone have a link for the bus TT which I'd get to Armadale?

Might come back via Mallaig

EDIT: Or could I? Just realised that by doing that, I'd have to take all of the luggage

EDIT 2: Never mind, we can do Inverness-Kyle-Mallaig-FTW-Inverness with the last leg by bus! S'all good

 

[[email protected].]

Did the same journey to and from inverness in June.
I walked to and from Kylekin over the bridge,took about 30mins
Each way.
Very easy walk and excellent views,if weather is ok.
Cafe and pubs both sides.

 

[Welshman]

Thanks for all of the information!

Does anyone have a link for the bus TT which I'd get to Armadale?

Might come back via Mallaig

EDIT: Or could I? Just realised that by doing that, I'd have to take all of the luggage

EDIT 2: Never mind, we can do Inverness-Kyle-Mallaig-FTW-Inverness with the last leg by bus! S'all good

I can remember when the little Macbrayne's buses met the ferry at Kyleakin and took you all over Skye.

Things have now moved on a bit, and it's Stagecoach that runs the buses. Try their website, and enjoy your trip.

 

[chefchenko]

its very dependent on the weather in my opinion, i did it for the first time back in 2005 and i had 4 hours to kill and it was pishing down !! i had a miserable time,but if its nice and dry kyle is very pleasant,good chippy/cafe and nice to walk along to the bridge,i suspect the visitor center on the station will close for the winter very soon,its a good wee browse enjoy the scenery on the way in,its stunning !! The previous idea about plockton is a good idea too,plockton is beautiful and has 3 great foodie pubs

 

[DarloRich]

It seems bonkers to go to Kyle and head straight back - but that's just my opinion!

There is a "local" easement that permits tickets that are valid from Edinburgh to Kyle to be used to return from Mallaig.

There is a bus - the most scenic in the country - that runs from Kyle to Armadale, this connects with the ferry (in Summer at least, not sure about winter - possibly not) that in turn connects with the train from Mallaig that connects with the sleeper.

The best time of year for this - by far - is May/June.

I would highly recommend this round trip journey!

If you do just want to go to Kyle and back, then at least go on an SRPS railtour (Scotsman is a steward for SRPS and could provide any more information you want)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, it also acts as a school bus, I think it may not run through to Armadale in winter though, but in Summer it provides a service for schoolkids, locals and tourists.

When several members of this forum went a few years ago, it was quite an interesting journey. Firstly, the machine broke so the journey was free. Secondly, when we boarded there were no seats together, so we paused for a moment, and the people on the bus (mostly youngsters) encouraged us to sit down among them. I've never quite seen anything like that on a bus before. Thirdly, a lad accidentally spilt something while exiting from the bus, and the driver got a broom, handed it to the lad who swept away the mess onto the road. The scenery was incredible. I have to rate it as the most amazing - and bizarre - bus journey ever. It would be madness to get all the way to Kyle and not get on that bus (even if you hate buses) IMO.

I would also recommend the Fish & Chip restaurant in Mallaig, but unfortunately I don't think there's time to do that between the ferry arriving and the train departing.

Now that is good advice - this is something i have wanted to do for a very long time but just never had the chance.

Skye is really a wonderful place ( not County Durham or North Yorkshire but not bad!)

I would advise staying up for a few nights if you can. To go out and back seems like a waste. Do it on a tour if you just want to mark the track off. otherwise stop for a bit. It is really nice - just a shame they built that bridge. I liked the Kyle ferry!

 

[sprinterguy]

I would advise staying up for a few nights if you can. To go out and back seems like a waste. Do it on a tour if you just want to mark the track off. otherwise stop for a bit. It is really nice - just a shame they built that bridge. I liked the Kyle ferry!

It felt like a "proper island" cut off from the rest of the world when there was only the ferry: I can remember using it a couple of times when I was just a nipper going on holiday with the family. Withdrawal of the ferry and the opening of the bridge can't have done the fortunes of Kyleakin any good now that it is completely bypassed by the road: I stayed in a hostel there a couple of years back and it seemed like a ghost town.

I don't think I'd be able to head up to Kyle without having to spend a week, or at the least a very long weekend, on Skye. The Cuillins are my favourite mountains in the UK for climbing, and I just can't resist the temptation to get up top of a couple of them whenever I'm in that neck of the woods!

 

[burns20]

I got the train from Inverness to Kyle and the bus to Broadford on Skye and stayed overnight then travelling to Mallaig via Armadale and got the Jacobite to Fort William, well worth the trip.

 

[PaulLothian]

It depends on the sort of entertainment the OP wants!

The museum run by the Friends of the Kyle Line at the station is very interesting. We walked across the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin, which would be interesting in a gale! We visited the Vistor Centre there which we also enjoyed. It focuses more on wild-life and local history.
There is a half-hourly bus service connecting the two villages.

Plockton is also lovely - we once spent much of a day there, but that is even more weather-dependent. Allow about 15 minutes to get back to the station from the village.

I have never visited any other railway terminal where you can watch seals!

 

[General Zod]

There is a "local" easement that permits tickets that are valid from Edinburgh to Kyle to be used to return from Mallaig.

I have looked for this easement within the easements.pdf on the ATOC website but cannot find any reference to it. Could you confirm this Yorkie as a round trip EDB-KYL-Mallaig does sound very agreeable if a EDB-KYL return ticket is indeed valid for the said journey.

Cheers.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Mugridge
Bus?!.

Originally Posted by Yorkie
Yes, it also acts as a school bus, I think it may not run through to Armadale in winter though, but in Summer it provides a service for schoolkids, locals and tourists.

Yorkie, I think you missed my point - in conjunction with my following line I was drawing attention to the fact that you can still go "over the sea to Skye" the traditional way...

 

[Track Basher]

The Armadale to Kyle bus only runs in the summer months. In June it was a bread van bus (know nothing about buses, except this one has a 26xxx or 27xxx number so it must have been a Scottish bus). Four of us made the journey and we had the bus to ourselves.

In the winter you have to change a Broadford. Did this between Christmas and New Year 2009. It was minus 10 and we were stuck there for an hour with nothing open. Great sunset though. It was worth is for the Scandanavian esk trip down the Kyle line. Over a foot of snow at Achnasheen. It was worth freezing to death for this journey alone. Do the circular trip it is worth it. You could also spend the night in between in Portree which is nice. Buses run to both Kyle and Armadale.

 

[38Cto15E]

I did the trip around last June, got the 0900 from Inverness to the Kyle, had a walk round and a pint and some Smoked Salmon at the world famous Lochalsh Hotel.
I then got the afternoon train back to Plockton and night stopped, up early next morning for the first train to Inverness.
One warning, beware of the midges.

Many moons ago you could get a ferry twice a week from the Kyle to Mallaig, but this finished a long while ago.

 

[paul1609]

I think that if you travel to Kyle its a mistake not to travel on the bus at least as far as Portree. The scenary on the Broadford to Portree section is fantastic. Stay overnight and then return via Armadale and Mallaig as other have suggested.

 

[glenbogle]

Use this website for all Scotland travel, there is also a free mobile app for it.

Traveline Scotland


http://www.travelinescotland.com/journeyplanner/enterJourneyPlan.do?hss=xGLxd25368066

All the info will be here.

Enjoy.

 

[blackfive460]

Many moons ago you could get a ferry twice a week from the Kyle to Mallaig, but this finished a long while ago.

And a few moons before that you could sail from Mallaig & Kyle to Portree on the Loch Arkaig. It's a shame that's gone too.
To get back to the OP's question; if you can fit it in, I would strongly recommend visiting Skye with a bus ride to Portree & back at the very least.

 

[Greenback]

I would definitely aim to visit Skye. We didn't when we were there and it has been a cause for regret ever since!

 

[Track Basher]

It may be a regret but on the plus side an excuse to go again.

 

[Greenback]

Yes, that's the positive way to look at it, and we certianly will!

We didn't go then because we hadn't planned it well. We were in Inverness and had planned tot ake a Loch ness excursion, but it was full, so we jumped on the Kyle train with about two minutes to spare! We had to be back in Inverness for a ceilidh in the evening, so we had to catch the next train back. It was a beautiful journey, but we just didn't have enough time to get across to Skye, we just stared across wishing we could!

 

[chefchenko]

I would definitely aim to visit Skye. We didn't when we were there and it has been a cause for regret ever since!

skye is defo worth a visit !!! i spent 2 summers working on skye,its a stunning place though the midges are hellish :-x