Glenelg is located south of Loch Alsh where the Isle of Skye is closest to the mainland. Surprisingly, Glenelg is twinned with Glenelg on Mars – no doubt both offering visitors stunning views for miles!
The road from Glenelg to the Isle of Skye is an alternative to the Skye bridge over Loch Alsh, and rewards travellers with some of the best views in Scotland and a crossing on the original Skye ferry, from April to October.
Sailing from Glenelg to Kylerhea on Skye, the car ferry, Glenachulish, is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world so it truly is a unique experience! Built in 1969, the ferry has capacity for 6 cars and makes regular crossings. While on the water, watch out for local wildlife such as otters, cormorants, gulls and sea eagles, grey seals and even occasionally a pod of dolphins or basking shark.
A LOCAL GEM
The village of Glenelg can be reached from the A87, by leaving it at Shiel Bridge and taking the Old Military Road. It is just under ten miles to Glenelg however, this route is not for the fainthearted! Most of the road is single-track and takes travellers through the 1100ft hair-pinned pass of Mam Ratagan, or Bealach Ratagain, down to the village of Glenelg. Please be a courteous and careful driver through this route so that the splendid scenery can be enjoyed by all.
A charming village which packs a punch, Glenelg has lots to offer from fresh local produce, café’s and supper clubs, village shop and market garden, to walking trails and bike routes plus many sites of historical significance.
Two of the best preserved brochs in Scotland can be found in Glenelg – Dun Telve and Dun Troddan. These Iron Age structures are powerful reminders of the land’s inhabitants through time and stand at over 10m in some places!
Another noteworthy built structure was constructed centuries later, following the Jacobite rising of 1715, when Glenelg was chosen along with Fort George, Fort Augustus and Fort William as one of four strategic sites in the Highlands for military barracks. Completed in 1723 and ultimately abandoned after the devastating Highland Clearances, the Bernera Barracks are now ruined but can still be explored.
Glenelg village is also home to an 18th C Parish Church and the original inn, now known as Ferry House, where Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell stayed on their tour of the Highlands in 1773. Visitors today can still stay at Ferry House, as well as other self-catering or camping options in the area.
From the main Glenelg to Arnisdale Road, the eponymous Sandaig Islands can be reached by foot. A small group of islets just off the point of the Sound of Sleat, visitors are treated to silvery shell sand beaches and the tranquil air of the West Coast.
Sandaig Lighthouse was built in 1910 by Charles Alexander Stevenson (cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson) for the Northern Lighthouse Board, six miles south of Kirkton of Glenelg. In 2002 the tower was restored and moved to the community-owned Glenelg Ferry Terminal.
With lots to explore and mouth-watering local produce to experience, Glenelg, and the surrounding area, is well-worth a visit!
