On the edge of Kyle of Lochalsh The Plock is Kyle’s Community Woodland. Where the Skye Bridge meets the village The Plock is a haven for wildlife, peacefulness, great views and some accessible walking. With 3 car parks on site and within walking distance of Kyle of Lochalsh The Plock is a real asset to the area.
The Plock
The first car park is next to the Old Toll Booth Office with one disabled parking space and electric vehicle charging points. The second car park is through the gate and on your left. Again one disabled parking space near the start of the walking trials. The third and final car park is at the top of the hill by the view point. Another disabled parking space up here and a short walk to the viewpoint. Be careful driving up here as the road is very narrow and steep with lots of tight corners. The viewpoint gives you uninterrupted views over Skye, Lochalsh and to the mainland areas of Applecross and Torridon.
These are the only facilities other than benches and bins at The Plock at the moment but huge development of the area is in the pipeline. This will include a central hub, toilets, further parking and activities.
The Inner Loop
Starting to the left of the map in the middle car park the Inner Loop is a very accessible walking route. Less than half a kilometre in length and wide enough for a wheelchair or pushchair to navigate. A compacted gravel surface with few loose rocks and no obstacles. The foliage is also cut back enough so as to not encroach on the footpath.
Sarah used her rollator to navigate around and found it relatively easy underfoot. As you potter through the mixed woodland you come across benches and fabulous views from which to enjoy them. Walking clockwise you first grab a glimpse of the Skye Bridge, then onto Broadford Bay and Raasay. Further around the foliage is thicker so the views are not as plentiful but now you can take moment to enjoy all the flora and fauna around you. Eventually you get a glimpse of a small cove and soon you are back at the car park. It is a short but very enjoyable walk. As the seasons change so will the scenery. We made a short film on our way around the walk which you can view here.
There are small unpaved trails leading off the Inner Loop. In the future we will investigate to see how accessible some of these are for non wheelchair users.
The Moor and The Shore Path
This path is the first one if you are walking clockwise around the Inner Loop. There are signposts To The Moor and The Shore. The Plock map in the car park shows it is an unpaved path. At the beginning of the path there are a few rocks to negotiate but Sarah managed easily with Melanie’s help. Once over the rocks it is open moorland with paths trodden down through the grass.Take care as further obstacles may be hidden under the grass but it is relatively easy going otherwise. Several paths can be seen trodden through the grass but we just kept on the most direct looking route. There were some muddy patches as we had had rainy days earlier that week but nothing too bad.
On the inner loop we had found a bench with native bird cries we might hear on the walk carved into it. On this path we found a bench telling us how many types of orchid we might be able to see flowering on the moorland. Unfortunately it was the wrong time of year for them but it gives us a fantastic excuse to return in the spring. We did make another short film about this path so you can see for yourselves how we got on here.
The Shore
Once we reached our destination, the shore, we were rewarded with fantastic views back to Badicaul. The actual shoreline is very rocky so Sarah was unable to get to the water’s edge but from where we stopped we were able to see something poking it’s head out of the water. After much discussion about whether it was a seal or an otter we vowed to remember binoculars on our next visit.
We took a slightly different route back across the moorland, there seemed to be many options. We met dog walkers on our way in and children would enjoy running and playing on the open moor. In reality, this particular path is not really accessible for wheelchair users. Sarah managed with her rollator, walking sticks and a lot of help. But determination and positive mental attitude won the day! However, this is only the first path we have explored off the Inner Loop. We look forward to many more visits.
A Return Visit to The Plock – January 2023
After a very wet spell on Skye we were able to venture out again and decided to revisit The Plock. We were keen to see the work the team had been doing to improve accessibility. This time we decided to park in the first car park and walk all the way up. We hadn’t realised before just how steep this bit of the path is so it may not be suitable for everyone. However we made it up there excited to see the work that had been going on.
The Inner Loop has some new information boards and lots of replanting and cutting back on going. There are some new paths through the gorse for those with more mobility and a sense of adventure. The first major change was the raised walkway from the Inner Loop onto the meadow. Previously this was gravel and tree roots and pretty impassable for wheels of any sort. Now Sarah wheeled over completely unaided. Huge new drainage channels have been cleared to help dry the land out, each one now having a bridge over it. Before the channels were over grown and not properly bridged. These have been remarkable and very beneficial works carried out.
Because we had recently had a lot of rain the paths were very squelchy. We were grateful to find that some of the worst patches had been covered with either gravel or a fabric membrane so we didn’t get wet feet. This time we managed to wheel to the top of the old golf course and get a sneaky view of the Skye Bridge. We had never previously been this far before. From here we could see the paths below us and chose another new one.
We decided to venture down to the shore once again. This time we went via some ponds that in Spring and Summer will be teeming with wildlife. We found that some little bridges had been placed over some of the more difficult obstacles. As a result we made it to the shore much quicker than the last time. This meant we had much more time to enjoy the walk and to sit on the shore and enjoy the view. We are very excited to see further improvements in the future and will keep you informed.
From the Leisure Centre to The Plock.
If you wish to walk from the Leisure Centre in Kyle of Lochalsh to The Plock or vice versa there is a very straight forward route to follow. Park in the car park opposite the Leisure Centre and head up Douglas Row on the same side as the Leisure Centre. At the top don’t cross over just follow the path up and round to the right. It is a long steady uphill walk from now on. The path here is good tarmac with plenty of small slopes over driveways. To cross the first side road there are dropped kerbs. Plock Road turns into Hamilton Place and then Heathmount Place. If you simply stay on the same side of the road you can walk all the way to Heathmount Road.
Here you take the dropped kerb but then drop onto the road as the footpath ends here. The rest of the way to The Plock is on a single track road so take great care. There is a little traffic as this road serves the last few houses on Heathmount Place and any cars that may be on The Plock might exit or enter this way. Heathmount Place is very pot holed and rough so be careful underfoot. As you approach The Plock smooth tarmac reappears.
At the entrance to The Plock are some wheelie bins for any rubbish you have hidden in your pockets! Now you are on The Plock simply follow the road up to the Viewpoint or down to the middle car park for the walks. If you can manage steps there are some steps in front of you that led up to the viewpoint too. It is approximately 0.5 miles or 0.8 kilometres from the Leisure Centre to the Viewpoint. Return the way you came. ideally there would be a footpath the whole way but the terrain doesn’t really allow for this. So we cannot stress enough that if you walk on the road take care.