Kyleakin Port Slipway - Skye visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Kyleakin Port Slipway' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Highland.

Panorama from the main slipway of Kyleakin Harbour on Skye showing the surrounding area up Loch Alsh, Castle Moil and the hills of Skye.

Kyleakin harbour is a good example of both man and Nature working together enhancing a natural harbour to create a safe port. The village is built on a sand bank, a product of "long-shore drift" that over centuries formed usable land between the main island bedrock and a small rock island. This bank was extended and capped by this pier to create a busy port for fisheries and pleasure, canoeing, yachting and water sports. It was also used by the former Skye ferry.

This panorama shows the equipment used in prawn fishing - brightly coloured creels and bouys, the barrels of bait (salted mackerel) and cases for packing the day's catch. Across the sea, the smaller "secondary" access bridge of the Skye Bridge, seen from Kyle Viewpoint is visible as the lead in A87 reaches Kyle of Lochalsh and it's larger, main harbour.

The brightly coloured yellow hillsides are covered with Gorse, a thorned shrub predominantly covering uncultivated ground, known for its rich, sweet scent not unlike clover or honeysuckle. This gorse covered hill offers a viewpoint (from Kyle) overlooking the Loch Alsh, Skye Bridge, Kyleakin, Broadford Bay and the small isles including Paabay, Scalpay, Raasay and Dun Caan dormant volcano, Crowlin isle and the mainland towards Applecross.

To the far right, the loch merges into Loch Duich, near to Eilean Donan Castle. Loch Duich channels to the right and forms the main sea lane running south to Mallaig, Armadale (pier), Fort William and the Glasgow Clyde.

Travel and Getting There:
Go "Over the Sea to Skye" across the Skye bridge, turning first left off the roundabout for Kyleakin village. The slipway is at the far end of the village.