Kylesku
| Kylesku | |
| Scottish Gaelic: An Caolas Cumhang | |
6px Kylesku shown within Scotland | |
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Council area | Highland |
| Lieutenancy area | Sutherland |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LAIRG |
| Postcode district | IV27 4 |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| Scottish Parliament | Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Kylesku (Scottish Gaelic: An Caolas Cumhang) is a small, remote fishing hamlet in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. Until 1984, it was the site of a free ferry.
Contents
Village
Kylesku is located where Loch Glencoul and Loch Glendhu join to form a sea passage Loch a' Chàirn Bhàin which links to Eddrachillis Bay. It is in the Scottish council area of Highland.
The village stretches back along the road from the slipway that used to be the southern end of the ferry crossing. Now by-passed by the main road carried over the bridge, the Kylesku Hotel overlooks the slipway.[1] Nearby are Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Britain's highest waterfall and Kerrachar Gardens. Both can be visited on a boat trip aboard Statesman.[1]
Kylesku sits at the centre of a 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) area which has become Scotland's first 'Global Geopark'.[2] There is abundant wildlife and a wide range of outdoor pursuits in or on the lochs, mountains and white sandy beaches, including bird watching, seal and otter spotting, fishing, climbing and hill walking.
Ferry
There was a passenger ferry (a rowing boat) in the early 1800s.[1] Commercial traffic mainly comprised cattle on their way to central Scotland, and they had to swim across. Over the years, various ferries came and went, and small car-carrying ferries first appeared between the wars. The Kylesku Ferry was unusual in being free for much of its life.[1]
The Maid of Kylesku, a two car ferry, was built for the Kylesku crossing in the early 1950s, where it served until replaced by the Queen of Kylesku in 1967.[1] When no longer needed, the Maid of Kylesku was simply beached and lay, grounded on the opposite side of the bay.
In 1976, the Maid of Glencoul, built in Ardrossan, became the first vessel capable of carrying fully loaded commercial vehicles.[1] After the opening of the Kylesku Bridge she went on to serve as the Corran Ferry.
Bridge
The bridge was opened, in 1984, by the Queen. It may only be 276m long, crossing a 130m stretch of water[1] but, the curving five-span continuous pre-stressed concrete hollow bridge,[3] set in the stunning scenery of Sutherland, has been described as one of the most beautiful bridges in the world.[2] It was designed by the architects Arup to compliment the natural beauty of the site, and has won several design and construction awards.
A cairn on the north side, erected in 1993, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the formation of the XIIth Submarine Flotilla, a unit of "X-craft" and "Chariot" miniature submarines, which trained in Lochs Glendhu and Glencoul from 1943.[1]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Kylesku". Undiscovered Scotland. http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kylesku/kylesku/index.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "More about the Kylesku Area". Kylesku Hotel. http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk/new_page_5.htm. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
- ↑ "Kylesku". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst1996.html. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
