Glum in Glenelg

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View from Mam Ratagan

One of the things I definitely wanted to do while we were staying in Dornie was to make the circular trip to Skye via the Glenelg ferry and back over the bridge. Day 2 of our week was another beautiful, sunny day which seemed the perfect opportunity. The first step is to take the steep and winding Mam Ratagan Pass (1115 feet) with fabulous views as seen above and below.

Bealach Ratagain viewpoint
Bealach Ratagain viewpoint
Road to Glenelg
Road to Glenelg

The village of Glenelg itself, or Kirkton of Glenelg to give it its full name, Glenelg being the name of the whole valley, was a strategic centre in the 17th century when a large barracks (the ruins of which we’d visit later) held the clans in check. Now, it’s a sleepy row of cottages round a shingle bay. The roofless storehouse seen by the bay was built by local farmers during the potato famine of 1837, to receive the quantities of food aid which came from the south. Just behind the old store is the Glenelg War Memorial, one of the most remarkable in the West of Scotland. It was presented to the community by Lady Scott of Ellenreach, designed by Robert Lorimer and sculpted by Louis Deuchars. The first name on the list of fallen is Valentine Fleming, father of Ian, the creator of James Bond.

Glenelg
Glenelg famine food store
Glenelg War Memorial
Glenelg War Memorial
Glenelg War Memorial

After looking round the village, we took a side road to visit Glenelg’s three brochs. Brochs were built all over the west and north of Scotland and in the islands from about 500BC onwards. They are huge structures with double walls protecting against the elements. The first is Dun Telve. This one survived almost complete until the 18th century when it was partially demolished to reuse the stone for other buildings.

Dun Telve
Dun Telve
Dun Telve

A short distance up the glen is Dun Troddan, the second broch. These two are unusually close and a bit of a mystery – did one replace the other, or were they lived in at the same time?

Dun Troddan
Dun Troddan

As luck would have it, the farm opposite Dun Troddan runs a small outdoor café and a bar. It was a little early for the latter, but coffee and cake at 11:30 are always welcome!

Wagon Cafe
Wagon Cafe
Wagon Cafe
Wagon Cafe
Wagon Cafe
Dun Inn
Dun Inn

After our cake, we set off to reach the third, and apparently most spectacular broch, Dun Grugaig. I can’t tell you how spectacular it is because this was the point at which things went badly wrong and we never got there. We continued to the end of the public road where a narrow, wooden bridge led into a farmyard. Had we continued straight across this we’d have probably been alright, but we stopped and pulled in slightly to consider if we would be trespassing or not. Across the farmyard, we noticed a signpost to the broch and space to park, so we decided it was ok to carry on. However, we approached the bridge at the wrong angle and the back near-side tyre caught its curved, metal lip. Instant puncture!

Oh, my goodness, this was a low point. Newish cars these days don’t come with a spare wheel, just a repair kit which pumps a sticky substance into the tyre where it is supposed to set over the hole until you can get to a garage. This would be fine if we’d run over a nail and had a small pinhole, but we had quite a big rip and as fast as the substance was pumped in, it ran out again. You can just about see the rip about 2/3 of the way down on the right hand side.

I should add that we are entirely at fault here. We knew we had no spare and had intended to get one before we left, but hadn’t. Neither of us had any phone signal. In retrospect, I don’t know why we didn’t call at the farmhouse to see if anyone was in and could let us use their phone, but we chose to limp slowly back to Glenelg. Still no phone signal, but the barman at the hotel let us use the phone there. He was also reassuring. I had been very worried about how a breakdown truck was going to get across the steep, single-track pass to reach us, but the barman was blasé – oh, just phone your breakdown service and someone will come out from the garage at Kyle of Lochalsh in about four hours. Happens all the time!

So we had lunch, then took it in turns to take short walks to view the aforementioned barracks while the other waited with the car. Bernera Barracks were built around 1719 at the time of an abortive Spanish invasion. They also guarded the road to the isles and discouraged cattle rustling and blackmail. Today, only ruins remain.

Bernera Barracks
Bernera Barracks

In fact, it didn’t take four hours for rescue to arrive. By the time I got back from my walk a very nice young man was already loading our car onto his truck and off we set. It was the fourth time that week he had been over the pass to Glenelg – and there can’t be better views to have in your workplace. Sitting high in the cab was the only advantage of such an ignominious return journey: we saw so much more than on the way over.

Once back in Kyle, the wheel was swiftly changed and we were on our way. There was still quite a bit of afternoon left, so we had a quick walk round the village which, until a bridge was built in 1995, was the main gateway to Skye. Now traffic mainly thunders past over the bridge and Kyle is a bit of a backwater. There is still a small station at the harbour, part of which is now a museum. We noticed a memorial to the Iolaire which left from Kyle and sank off Lewis on New Year’s Day 1919 losing 205 passengers (mainly returning soldiers) and crew.

Iolaire Memorial, Kyle of Lochalsh
Skye Bridge from Kyle
Kyle of Lochalsh Station
Kyle of Lochalsh harbour
Kyle of Lochalsh harbour

We climbed the Plock, a small hill with great views all around, including of the bridge which, as you can see, is actually two bridges with landfall on an island in between.

Skye Bridge from the Plock
View from the Plock

On the way back to our apartment, we made one final stop at Murchison’s Monument where there was another great view back to the bridge. Colonel Donald Murchison was loyal kinsman and factor to William, fifth Earl of Seaforth, during the Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1719. When Seaforth’s title and lands were forfeited to the Crown, Murchison risked his life time and again to collect the rents and take them to his master in Paris. He was caught and imprisoned in the Tower of London until King George I, admiring his loyalty, pardoned him and gave him a grant of land. Unfortunately, Seaforth did not recognise the King’s gift. Murchison moved east and died disillusioned in middle age.

Murchison’s Monument
Skye Bridge from Murchison’s Monument

So although the day did not go to plan, and I was extremely glum in the middle of it, it could have been worse. We visited Skye a few days later, but by the prosaic bridge method. What did we miss? A passenger ferry has been in existence at Glenelg since at least the 17th century, and a car ferry since 1934. The current ferry, the MV Glenachullish, carries six cars and is the last operating manual turntable ferry in the world. Fortunately, Ruth’s Coastal Walk has an excellent post on the ferry, with some great pictures, if you want to know more. Someday, we’ll go back. But this time we’ll take a spare tyre.

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72 Comments »

  1. Pingback: Over the bridge to Skye – The Glasgow Gallivanter
  3. Pingback: Plockton and Duncraig Castle – The Glasgow Gallivanter

  4. Skye – and Glenelg – look beautiful; I would love to visit. It’s a shame about the puncture, but it sounds as though you were still able to pack a lot into one day. I’m fascinated by the brochs: it’s the first time I’ve heard of them.

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  5. I did not realise new cars did not have a spare wheel. We have never needed ours and am not sure we could manage to change it.

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  7. Beautiful photos. It is always annoying when you don’t have a spare tyre. It happened to us mi-septembre we took a porthole in the cumbrian road and exploded both back and front left wheels.

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  8. What a pity you didn’t get to Dun Grugaig – I was looking forward to reading about it as I’ve only been to the two well-known ones! I’m glad you managed to get your tyre changed so promptly in Kyle!

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  9. Had my tyre torn once when I was pushed off the road by a large truck who thought my lane was nicer than the one he was supposed to be on. Still I had a spare and the truck went on its merry way without ever realising what had happened. It didn’t detract from your holiday, which was good. I loved all your photograps. The high, steep and winding road sounds very much like the drive from Adelaide to Lobethal, except that the road is so narrow there is just no safe place to stop and take photographs. Like Ann, I just find it very odd that new cars in the UK don’t have a spare tyre. I must ask about that for here.

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  11. Don’t punctures always happen at the worst time? We had one when driving out to see the White Horse in Wiltshire some years ago and had to spend the first day of our holiday sitting around a garage. It took us ages to even find one that was open, as it was a bank holiday weekend. Glad you had a rescuer, and were able to carry on with your holiday!

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  12. I’m glad you had a good trip despite the punctured tire! I don’t understand why cars no longer come with spare tires…I mean, why not? Sometimes we get flat tires no matter what we do.
    Thanks for sharing these lovely photos, too!

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    • Thanks Ann! It’s greener (less weight) and cheaper for the manufacturers – if people just buy their own spare it negates the first reason, so I suspect it’s the second. The kit supplied is only suitable for a small puncture. If we’d had a spare we’d still have got to the ferry.

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  13. The joys of motoring! Lack of a spare is justified on environmental grounds, but you’re not being cynical – when companies talk environment it’s usually cost driven (like towels in hotels). I’m luck in that my medium sized VW does come with a spare. But I rather hope I won’t need to use it 😬
    Skye looks beautiful in your photos. I really must make the effort to visit the Highlands and Islands before I’m too crocked. Time is running out ☹️

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  14. Just the words “steep” and “winding” make me search for the Gravol/Dramamine:) Fabulous views are always worth it. Always a significant story behind a War Memorial. I looked up (Googled “broch”). Interesting structures. I always love how coffee and cake brings us back to the present.

    Darn it on the tyre! I am still old school on the availability of a spare tyre. “Happens all the time” speaks volumes. Quite the adventure, Anabel! I did read Ruth’s post since I am curious about ferries. Living on an island, we are always dealing with ferry travel. I actually sent my husband the link to this post. Too funny!

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  15. You still managed to do a lot in one day, despite the flat tire! The brochs you did see are spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it. And such beautiful weather. I might sound positive here, looking back at your day and reading about it, but if I would have been in your situation, I would have been bummed as well.

    When we bought our camper van, Zesty, it came without a spare tire or tire rack. We could barely believe it. The first project we tackled was buy a rack and a second hand spare tire, and installed it all on our back door… So far, two years later, we haven’t needed it yet.

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  16. That whole spare tire thing… I’m glad my car is equipped (and it’s full-sized, too). Sorry you had such a bummer of it. But the photos are marvelous – a clear blue-bird day, as we say here.

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  17. As usual you have seen a lot of stuff that I’ve missed, despite being in all those areas many times. Glad the flat tyre didn’t put you off too much. Like that War Memorial.

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  18. I so hope that you ordered drinks with your lunch — you totally deserved them!
    I love your positive mindset despite your unwelcomed surprise.
    I’m glad that help arrived swiftly and that you enjoyed your day after all.
    Attitude truly is everything!

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  19. Great photos, Anabel and bad luck about the car. In the days before the bridge we broke down near Kyle of Lochalsh and had to stay overnight at a b&b. We were also forced to have dinner at the Kyle of Lochalsh hotel.

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  22. So frustrating to have car (or tire) problems while out and about… but it sounds like you made the most of it. It seems that just about all cars are missing the spare tires now… I guess to make the cars lighter and more fuel-efficient? Anyway, beautiful photos of a gorgeous area. All in all, a lovely day.

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  23. Well, if you must have a breakdown it’s best to do it in a scenic spot. What a pain to have such an unnecessary delay though.
    There’s a beach-side suburb of Adelaide in South Australia called Glenelg. I’ve never been there but I’ve always loved the name because it’s a palindrome. (Yes, I’m weird like that.)

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  24. Sorry to read about the puncture but at least you didn’t have to wait the stated four hours to be rescued. Great photos as usual, I love the first one 🙂

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  25. Sorry to hear about the tyre. Sounds like it could be a lot worse though. We were once without a car for three days on hols. Lots of walking was done. X

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  26. Oh dear. When I read your last post, I did suspect car trouble was going to be what you were hinting at. It seems as if you were able to make the most of a cruddy situation and at least the weather was kind to you. Two summer ago, we got had bother with the car as we travelled across Iowa (my fault entirely) which totally thwarted our plans. Cars are such a boon for travel, of course, but they are occasionally a right pain.

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  28. I’m sorry you had a puncture, but it does seem like a wonderful trip. Memory being what it is, the frustration will fade, letting the other, richer, memories come to the fore.

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  29. Such bad luck with the puncture but these things do happen and luckily, you both seem to cope well with mishaps and you made the best of it. It could have been worse. It could have happened in near darkness and the walk back to the pub would have been more difficult. By the way, who lived in the brochs? Ordinary folk, or heads of clans?

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  30. Bad luck about the tyre. I bought a new car this year and insisted that it should have a spare.
    I enjoyed the post and the fascinating information. I especially like the war memorial statue.

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  31. Oh crumbs! I had a puncture on Mull, while I was on the track to my cottage. I knew the garage was in Salen, on the other side at the ‘waist’. But that was when Prius Mk 1’s had spares….

    But you’ve just reminded me of my long-held plan to do Rum, Egg and Muck by ferry and train, all the way from the south, in three days. I know it’s feasible from Norwich (and only really in June, for the light), but last time I looked, the cost was extortionate. I must check the trains from Southampton.

    Love your adventures, as always.

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  32. Ah, so here is your puncture story! I’m glad it didn’t take four hours for the garage to send the truck for your car. Incidents such as these can really ruin your good time, can’t they? At least you got to see the first two of Glenelg’s three brochs. Those double walls at Dun Telve look like an impenetrable fortification! The Bernera Barracks are certainly in a beautiful setting. 🙂

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