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Kyle Of Lochslsh places to visit in the Scottish Highlands

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Last Updated on Saturday, 05 May 2012 17:33

Kyle Of Lochslsh this is the ferry port for Skye and is in consequence a very busy place in summer. The community developed around the railhead once the line had been extended westwards from Strome Ferry in the 1890s. Kyle of Lochalsh makes a good excursion point for discovering Torridon a Apple cross to the north or Kintail to the east. The areas to the south remain remote and secluded. EXCURSIONS
Northwards to Ullapool via Gairloch. Eilean Donan Castle. - 9 miles to the east by the A 87. The castle has an idyllic island site (today linked by a bridge) with a superb mountain and loch setting. Following the abortive Jacobite rising of 1719 the ruins were abandoned for 200 years, until the 20C when a complete reconstruction was undertaken.
The two rooms open to the public (Billeting Room and Banqueting Ha have a variety of MacRae mementoes. For long the MacRaes were guardians of castle for, and bodyguards to, the MacKenzies and hence known as "Mackenzie's South of Mail.
The vantage point of the outer ramparts offers excellent views of the three lochs. Beyond at the head of loch Ouich is Glen Shiel this grandiose V-shaped valley passes from the head of Loch Duich through to Loch Cluanie.
Stretching six miles down the left side of the Glen are the Five Sisters, abruptly from the lochside some of the peaks top 3 OOOft.
The valley was the site of the battle of Glen Shiel which ended the Jacobite rising of 1719 a Jacobite expedition with Spanish troops had landed two months earlier and occupied Eilean Donan, the troops were forced to surrender to the bombardment from three English frigates and the battle was the concluding action in this short lived episode