Duncraig Castle from Plockton.

Start. Plockton (Harbour car park).

Route. Plockton - Innes Street - Open Air Church - Kyle Line - Duncraig Castle - Plockton Road (lane) - Kyle Line - Innes Street - Plockton.

Notes. A fine shoreline walk leading through stunning coastal woodland with beautiful views across Loch Carron. The climax of this short outing must be Duncraig Castle, after a chequered history it’s now an exclusive hotel in a stunning setting, but there's more, come along.

After parking in Plockton we had a wander around before heading out of the village via the main road, up hill we walked tarmac under foot, passed the village school to reach the war memorial, opposite a flight of steps lead to an arch allowing access to an open air church. This church dates from a time when the Free Church of Scotland broke away from the main Church of Scotland, something to do with the church supporting the landlords during the clearances, a dark slice of Scotland's history.

Continuing up hill we reached a finger-post inviting us to Duncraig Castle, we obliged first crossing boggy ground aided by a wooden walkway, this deposited us on a good path running along the waters edge. This section of path was a delight to walk, with the loch, railway and stunning views to Plockton and the mountains of Applecross for company we slowly made our way to Duncraig Castle. The castle was built by Alexander Matheson in the 1860s, after his death it passed through a number of hands, had a number of uses but has now been restored for use as an exclusive hotel.

The path passed the front of the castle and stable block before reaching the main Plockton-Stromeferry road (single track), we turned right. With tarmac under our boot soles we wandered on to the second footpath on the right, signed Plockton ¾ mile, this path descended through mature woodland of oak and birch, the remains of moss covered dry stone walls guided us, we re-join our outward route half way down the hill, from there we re-traced our steps to Plockton.

view route map.

home.

Seen from Plockton, Duncraig Castle backed by the formidable cliffs of Creag an Duilisg.

Sunlight on the mountains of Applecross.

The Free Church of Scotland.

The Free Church broke away from the main Church of Scotland, in protest of the church backing the landlords during the clearances, at time when crofters were thrown from the land by the very landlords whom should have been protecting them to be replaced by the more lucrative sheep.

At the head of the estuary looking to the cliffs of Creag an Duilisg.

Bad a' Chrearmha seen over Loch Carron.

The gorse covered island of Eilean nan Gamhainn backed by the white washed buildings of Plockton and the not so distant mountains of Applecross.

Plockton in the shadow of Sgurr a' Chaorachain and Beinn Bhan.

The route ahead.

Chimney in the woods.

One of two inlets passed, cut off from the sea by the railway line.

The impressive pile of Duncraig Castle.

Views over Loch Carron and Loch Kishhorn, dominating the scene the mountains of Applecross.

This walled path guided us back to the coast.

Plockton across Loch Carron.

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