Coordinates: 57°17′N 5°43′W / 57.28°N 5.72°W
| Kyle of Lochalsh | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Caol Loch Aillse | |
  Kyle of Lochalsh
Kyle of Lochalsh shown within Scotland |
|
| Population | 739 [1] |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Scottish Gaelic | |
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Highland |
| Lieutenancy area | Ross and Cromarty |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | KYLE OF LOCHALSH |
| Postcode district | IV40 |
| Dialling code | 01599 |
| Police | Northern |
| Fire | Highlands and Islands |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Ross, Skye and Lochaber |
| Scottish Parliament | Ross, Skye and Inverness West |
| Website | http://www.visitkyle.co.uk |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Kyle of Lochalsh (from the Scottish Gaelic Caol Loch Aillse, "strait of the foaming lake") is a village on the northwest coast of Scotland, 63 miles (100 km) west of Inverness. It is located at the entrance to Loch Alsh, opposite the village of Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye. A ferry which used to connect the two villages was replaced by the Skye Bridge, about a mile (2 km) to the west, in 1995.
The village is the transport and shopping centre for the area as well as having a harbour, marina with pontoons for maritime visitors. The surrounding scenery and wildlife are regarded as attractions of the village, as is the slow pace of life. Crofting as well as more recent crofting pursuits like salmon farming are some of the activities taking place in Kyle of Lochalsh.
Kyle of Lochalsh railway station is connected to Inverness by the Kyle of Lochalsh railway line, built in 1897 to improve public transport to the north-west of Scotland. The line ends on the water's edge, near where the ferry connection used to run.
A land-based control centre of the Royal Naval BUTEC submarine range is based in Kyle of Lochalsh.[2]
In popular culture
- In 1980, the BBC did a series of documentaries, entitled "Great Railway Journeys Of The World". The Kyle of Lochalsh appeared in an episode entitled "Confessions of a Trainspotter", presented by Michael Palin. In the segment, Palin traveled by various trains from London to the Kyle of Lochalsh. His humour was evident throughout the documentary. Upon reaching the Kyle of Lochalsh, he purchased a large piece of railway memorabilia—the Kyle of Lochalsh railway platform sign. The ending credits showed Palin taking the oversized sign with him back to London, which he then hung on his garden wall at home.
- Along with nearby town Plockton, the town became the backdrop to the BBC drama series "Hamish MacBeth".
- Kyle of Lochalsh was visited by the characters in Mark Chadbourn's trilogy, Age of Misrule.
References
- ^ "Census 2001". Population figures. http://www.highland.gov.uk/plintra/iandr/cen/pop_towns.htm. Retrieved August 17, 2005.
- ^ "British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC)" Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
External links
Media related to Kyle of Lochalsh at Wikimedia Commons
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